


Heroes Only Use Axes and Swords?

by Dtale



Category: Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken | Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternative Perspective, Bakugou Katsuki Swears A Lot, Canon-Typical Violence, Dialogue Heavy, Gen, Izuku doesn't like it, Minor Character Death, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Sain's dumb antics, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, clever use of game mechanics, for fire emblem at least, should probably stick to proper tags, tsundere Linus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:40:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 49,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26162044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dtale/pseuds/Dtale
Summary: The atmosphere changed during the tumultuous events of the Forest Training Camp for the students of Class 1-A. A new presence had arrived in their midst, one that would whisk them away to a world that may or may not have needed their help.Hell yeah it’s a motherfucking isekai crossoverConcept is original as fuck don’t @ meSome crack may be taken seriously
Comments: 11
Kudos: 11





	1. The Weirdest Camping Trip

**Author's Note:**

> This story contains spoilers for My Hero Academia up to the Forest Training Camp arc and the events of FE7. There will be some exploration of content and ideas that have not been confirmed as canon.  
> The story will serve as a somewhat canon-divergent retelling of the events of FE7.

_ No plan survives first contact with the enemy. _

Not even that statement could prepare Izuku for what was happening in front of his eyes. He might have even perceived it as a hallucination from the copious amounts of adrenaline coursing through his system from his earlier endeavors. Two broken arms was no joke, and his heroic instincts and hormonal response were likely to be the only things keeping him from passing out completely.

Good news; Shoji had grabbed the marbles containing Kacchan and Tokoyami. 

Bad news; the villains seemed dead set on trying to capture them again, surrounding them on all sides; the knife-crazy blonde on their left, the bodysuit wearing villain on their right. In front of them, the masked villain and another who looked like he was covered in burns. Behind him, the mist villain and a Nomu which seemed like a horror monster come to life, half of its eight arms tipped in chainsaws.

Uraraka, Asui, Shouto, Shoji and Izuku prepared themselves for battle, one that would definitely not leave them unscathed.

Well, that was until the villain in the dark bodysuit started twitching.

====

Twice might have been eccentric, that much Dabi could say without a doubt. When the self-contradicting villain started spasming like a demon possessed; Dabi felt a smidge of concern. The League’s future tactics would surely suffer if Twice was incapacitated here.

“Toga, quick. Check on him before he hurts himself.” Dabi commanded, to which Toga complied before a clone emerged; stopping everyone in their tracks.

Twice had told the League the limitations on his quirk when he was first recruited. He needed to know the exact measurements and characteristics of a person before cloning them. This was the reason why he couldn’t duplicate Kurogiri; seeing as the villain’s body was in a constant state of change due to his gaseous abilities.

The clone standing over Twice’s now unconscious body did not clearly emit any form of gas, but it’s presence felt more unfathomable than the mist villain ever did. It wore an identity-disguising green cloak, its form under it shifting as if the body underneath was constantly changing. In its hands, the clone held a staff whose head cupped a sapphire-like orb, said orb held above the unconscious villain’s head, a soft glimmer of starlight being emitted from it. The staff’s body shone an extravagant gold, glimmering even in the darkness of the night. Floating at shoulder level to the clone, was an open black book with a gold design on its cover, it’s pages wreathed in an ethereal blue glow.

“Who are you?!” Kurogiri shouted, his question sending everyone in the clearing into tensed stances. For the villains, Kurogiri’s statement confirmed that the clone was not an expected variable for their second-in-command. For the students, on the other hand, the appearance of another person from a villain’s body didn’t exactly assuage their fears that the newcomer could have just been another villain.

“Hm…” The robed newcomer pondered aloud. To everyone present, even the small sound felt like a cacophony of noise; a barrage of voices which came across as if it was said by many people at once.

“You may call me… Bramimond. Yes… I am Bramimond, the Enigma. I have a mission to complete in this world. This one’s quintessence will not last me long.” They spoke. Speaking in longer sentences, it was clear that their voice was composed of the voices of everyone in the clearing; not that it helped anyone recover from the fact that this Bramimond spoke in all their voices.

“Then allow me to assist you with that. Take him out!” Kurogiri commanded, spurring his allies into action. Toga was the quickest to attack; knife extended to strike the mysterious interloper. 

A breath’s distance away from finding her mark, Dabi watched as Toga’s attack was deflected by Bramimond’s staff; the enigmatic man tripping the girl and sending her tumbling away in the same counter. The burn-scarred villain’s hand lit up with a blue fireball as he prepared to attack.

“Toga, get down!” He yelled as he blasted Bramimond with a torrent of blue fire. To his surprise, the flames were absorbed into a purplish-black hole outlined with undecipherable runes which formed in front of the enigma.

All fell according to Kurogiri’s plan of attack anyway as the tool-bearing Nomu rushed the outsider from behind, chainsaws whirring as it thrust one forward, seeking to run Bramimond through.

====

Izuku watched in horror as the newcomer was pierced by the Nomu’s attack, then in bewilderment as the robed person simply dissipated into black and purple smoke, similarly to the mist villain’s quirk, reforming into his original form behind the modified human. They pointed their staff at the Nomu, starlight blasting from it from behind, causing it to slump over like a doll with its strings cut. As the fight between the villains and the outsider continued, the green-haired student was grabbed by Shoji.

“We need to leave while that person is distracting them. I can carry you all as Asui launches us with her legs.” The tentacled student whispered into Izuku’s ear as they all started to retreat away from the battle.

“You are my mission. I cannot allow you to leave.” Bramimond spoke in a decisive tone to the heroes in training. Parrying a sudden cane strike from the masked villain; Brammind took his staff and delivered a swift blow to his enemy’s head. The blow rendered the villain unconscious and undid his quirk; releasing a dazed Kacchan and Tokoyami on top of Shoji, toppling the tall student.

“I concur. The young master will be cross if we don’t fulfill our goal.” The mist villain agreed as he began to expand, threatening to warp the heroes with his quirk.

“Everyone, stick together! Todoroki, freeze our feet!” Izuku quickly commanded, prompting the group to huddle together. Before Todoroki could freeze them, Bramimond interrupted the dichromatic teen with a short shout, their discordant voice messing with both Todoroki and the mist villain’s concentration.

“That will be unnecessary. Apocalypse!” Bramimond announced as he raised his empty hand, his tome floating in front of him as purple rectangular runes traced themselves around the mist villain, restricting his movements, much to Kurogiri’s disdain.

“Come now, young heroes. There’s a world that needs your help.”

The statement from the enigma was the last thing Izuku heard before the world around him descended into darkness.

====

Izuku never really struggled with a fear of the dark. The All Might night light from his youth completely obliterated it from his young mind.

Now, he was starting to have his doubts. The darkness that surrounded him seemed impenetrable; the only thing visible being his own two bound limbs. The silence around him was deafening, and he wondered if Bramimond’s mission objective was to kill him. It was then that Bramimond appeared to the young hero, wreathed by the ethereal glow of his tome.

“Midoriya… Izuku, correct? You seem to be wounded. It may be detrimental to your efforts. Shall I heal you?” Bramimond asked, kneeling to the boy’s eye level and putting a hand on his shoulder, revealing a different staff from under his cloak. It’s design consisted of a clear gem-like orb on a pedestal surrounded by a gold crescent. Before the enigma could do anything, Izuku sputtered, giving Bramimond pause.

“Wait wait wait! I don’t even know where I am! I don’t even know who you are! Can you explain those first?” With the light from Bramimond’s tome and staff, Izuku found himself sitting down, and was under the realization that he was really, really tired. The adrenaline had worn off and now he could barely keep himself awake.

“You are within the space of Apocalypse, the Silencing Darkness. I am Bramimond, the Enigma. Now shall I heal your wounds?” The answers didn’t exactly satisfy Izuku, but it was better than nothing. Bramimond seemed caring enough to want to heal Izuku’s injuries, and as much as Izuku hurt himself; he wasn’t a glutton for punishment, nor someone who liked collecting wounds.

“Yes, please. Can I ask more questions after?” Izuku agreed, submitting himself to Bramimond’s care. As the robed person, male, if his voice was to be believed, started unwrapping Izuku’s wounds, the young hero noticed scars on Bramimond’s right hand which mimicked the ones he gained during the sports festival.

“If we have time. A moment to concentrate please.” Bramimond responded. Raising the staff, the orb in its head expelled a soft green light, illuminating a large radius around the pair, only to reveal more darkness within the Silencing Darkness. Go figure. 

Izuku watched as the light from the staff coalesced into a translucent ball of energy, lowering itself into him and restoring his body’s health.

“Wow, that felt amazing! Is that a quirk? So what does that make your book? Or your other staff? Or your body transformation? Or the weird symbols that stopped the burnt guy’s fire? Or-” Izuku’s signature mumbling roared back to life as he was revitalized by Bramimond’s healing magic. To save time, Bramimond simply silenced the boy with a finger to his lips. The boy noticed that the scars on Bramimond’s hand from before had disappeared.

“In the world that needs your help, Izuku, there’s no such thing as quirks. It is a world of blades and magic, whose greatest technological innovations are equal to your world’s middle ages. I’ve done my best to preserve your abilities under the guise of magic, but some things can not be retained. The same will have occurred for your classmates, but the degree of change is different case by case. And then there’s the matter of your clothing.” With his previous fatigue gone, Izuku now had the presence of mind to realize that Bramimond’s voice was the same as his own, and along with his mumbling sort of tone he recognized as his own bad habit.

“Are you me? It sounds like you have my voice and the scars on your hand were healed when you healed me.” Izuku asked, putting all the pieces together. Under his hood, the corner of Bramimond’s mouth curved upward. He excused the boy’s slow uptake, he had been barely holding on to consciousness until moments ago.

“What I am shouldn’t concern you now. It’s a consequence of perfecting the Silencing Darkness.” The Enigma responded matter-of-factly, the undertone of tragedy not missed on Izuku.

“Your dream of being a hero will save many lives. Hold onto those ideals, and together you and your friends will prevent a great calamity.” Bramimond said with a wistful smile. Before Izuku could ask more, the Silencing Darkness began to rumble ominously.

“It seems like your time in this space is coming to an end. Best of luck, Izuku. Perhaps we will meet again.” Bramimond noted, putting his hand outwards. His tome appeared before him, the blue ethereal glow transitioning to an elegant crimson red as if it was a magical battery indicator. A circle of purple runes lit up around Izuku, changing his clothes to something more fitting for where he was going before beginning to lift him into the air.

“I-I’ll do my best, Mr. Bramimond. I will become a hero!” Izuku stuttered, watching as his bare chest and worn pants were replaced by a linen shirt, green tunic and dark green pants. He had more questions to ask the slowly shrinking stranger, but he could only hope that he could find someone else to fill him in; wherever he was going. He simply resolved himself as the world faded into black once more.

====

“Hey, are you alright?” A gentle hand shook Izuku’s shoulder, waking him from his slumber.

“Huh? Where am I?” Izuku grumbled as he rubbed his eyes. As the world came into focus, he spotted the one who woke him. A brown-haired boy about his age looked at him with concern. He had a bowl-like haircut, their bangs nearly obscuring their red eyes that glimmered like rubies.

“You’re in my tent. Doesn’t it hurt to sleep with your things on? How did you even get in here without any of my guards noticing? They would’ve gone nuts if I hadn’t told them that you were a friend.” Having yet to boot up the necessary mental functions to reply to the young man, Izuku simply nodded his head in thanks to this compassionate stranger as he sat up.

“Sorry, do you have some water I could splash my face with first?” Izuku asked with an apologetic tone. It wasn’t the best first impression to give off after waking up in their bed.

“I do, let me get it in a bowl for you.” The young man nodded, walking over to a bag near the edge of the tent and grabbing a bowl before depositing some water from his waterskin into it. He passed the bowl to Izuku while the student gained his bearings; moving his legs to the side of the bed, so as to not dirty it any longer.

On Izuku’s hands were light gray leather gloves, which he slipped off to dip his hands into the water, splashing his face before wiping it with his sleeve. A little more awake, Izuku absorbed his surroundings like a sponge. His ‘things’, as the stranger had put them, were a brown leather utility belt, a brown medieval haversack, an iron sword sheathed in its scabbard on his belt and most interestingly, his red sneakers, which had gone completely unchanged. Funnily enough, his current garb replicated the outfit he had worn for a school performance not too long ago with a medieval setting.

“Ah, that hits the spot! Sorry for barging in on your tent. My name is Izuku Midoriya. I was sent here to become a hero!” Izuku said with pride, holding his hand out for a handshake from the bewildered young man, who took it cautiously.

“...Nice to meet you, Izuku. My name is Mark. I’m a tactician studying at the military academy in Bern. Though currently, I’m leading a group of mercenaries as a… let’s call it a work study. You said you wanted to be a hero, right?” Mark explained, to which Izuku gave a curt nod, listening with rapt attention.

“You could join us and gain some experience. Nothing that will get you an instant promotion, but it’s a start. I’m surprised you want to be a hero though. Sacaens usually become nomadic troopers or swordmasters. Orion’s Bolts are much more common in the area and Sacaen blades aren’t fit for a hero’s fighting style.” Upon hearing a lot of unfamiliar terms, Izuku wished he had a notebook to write down all the new information he was getting.

‘Work study sounds familiar. Bern definitely does not. He makes hero sound like a job, do they already have heroes here? What about Sacaens? Are they a nomadic people? It’d make sense why one of their jobs is nomadic trooper. Orion’s Bolts sounds like an item of some sort. Are heroes stuck to one fighting style?’ Izuku thought, processing all that Mark told him. Some leaked out as mumbling, giving the tactician pause.

“Ah, you must have not been to other places outside your tribe. It’s alright, I have a world map you can look over in our spare time. I might still have that basic class manual lying in my bag. Let’s gauge your knowledge first. What do you know about Sacae?” Mark pounded his fist into his hand at the minor revelation, before tugging at the front of his green scarf. It looked like a thinking action, similar to Izuku’s own mumbling, or how someone would place a hand on their chin.

“What’s a Sacae?” Izuku responded without hesitation, causing Mark to sputter before he could recompose himself. 

“I see… Do you know anything about Elibe?” Mark asked with mild concern, loosening his scarf as a drop of sweat rolled down his forehead, the ahoge on the right side of his head drooping comedically. It brought attention to his outfit, which seemed much warmer than Izuku’s. He wore a light brown tunic over a white linen shirt with a green line embroidered along its edges under a thin grey cape. His dark brown pants were cuffed by his shin high boots with gold borders.

“Sorry, I don’t think I do. I’m not from around here.” Izuku confessed, rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment. Bramimond was rather vague about where he would drop off the young hero, and now the young man was paying the price for not asking those details earlier.

“That’s alright. I’ll try to teach you everything I know. Let’s go through the world map first. Come over to my planning table, I’ll set it down there.” Mark waved off Izuku’s embarrassment, taking things surprisingly well considering a literate dunce was dropped off in his bed out of nowhere with no warning. Perhaps it was part of a tactician’s skill to expect the unexpected.

Izuku helped the tactician place paperweights on a scroll he rolled out onto a rectangular standing table. As it became fully unfurled, Izuke studied the map in awe.

“I’m going to start from the left and go from there. These three islands here are the Western Isles. They were established by the Berserker Durban of the Eight Legends. As such, most of its inhabitants prefer axes as weapons.” Mark drew his finger around the three islands, though Izuku still struggled to understand the concept of classes.

“Sorry, Mark. Can you explain what these jobs and weapons are first? Or as we go? Some of these terms are still going over my head.” Izuku asked with a modest blush.

“Ah, don’t worry about it, let me get that class manual first.” Mark nodded, digging through their pack. Izuku took a moment to note the lines labelled as travel routes, and more concerningly, red circles noting known bandit attacks on those routes.

“Here we are. Basically, classes are classifications based on the primary weapons you wield. Let’s go back to Durban. His title was the Berserker, so it’s assumed that it was also his class. Berserkers are the promotion of the pirate, corsair and brigand classes. All of which wield axes as their weapon of choice. Brigands are known for their ability to cross mountains, while pirates and corsairs are skilled at traversing oceans. Berserkers are unsurprisingly capable of crossing both with ease. Their physical destructive potential is only rivaled by the most renowned of armour generals.” Mark placed the relatively thin reference book over the map, showing Izuku a diagram of the berserker class tree. Between pirates and corsairs was a note, ‘there doesn’t seem to be a clear difference between these two classes.’

“So there’s eight of these legends. Are there only eight promoted classes as well?” Izuku asked, noting the captioned drawing of a berserker wielding an axe that rivaled its user in height. Scandalously enough, the berserker seemed to wear nothing to hide their impressive stature.

“Not exactly. There are about fifteen promoted classes, and some of the heroes established unique classes of their own. I believe that there are five of those cases out of the eight who were promoted past the common classes we’re aware of.” Mark explained, pausing to let Izuku express any thoughts he had. 

“Hm, so how does promotion work anyway?” Izuku brought up. Was there a certification exam of some sort involved?

“There exists certain special items which transform the user when they have reached the stage at which they can promote. The Orion’s Bolt I mentioned earlier is one of them. I believe there are about nine different promotion items? They’re relatively hard to attain, as you’d expect. I heard Orion’s Bolts are formed by shooting two arrows through a lightning bolt.” Mark mimed firing a bow and arrow to articulate his point, causing Izuku’s eyes to widen at the difficulty of the feat.

“Haha, crazy, right? Anyway, this area here is the Nabata desert. It’s just a rumour, but it’s said that the Archsage Athos disappeared in the region to set up an oasis in desolation. I wouldn’t put it behind him, seeing as he’s one of those unique heroes. He mastered all forms of magic, granting him the title of Archsage. Curiously, it wasn’t him that founded the nation of Etruria, but Saint Elimine.” Mark chuckled before circling the desert area at the bottom left of the map.

“What’s the issue there?” Izuku prompted, not aware of the significance of Etruria.

“Well, you’d assume the master of magic would form the nation known for magic across the continent, no? That aside, Saint Elimine also formed the primary religion of Elibe. It was said she was a miracle worker of strong faith, who instead of dying, simply ascended to Heaven at the now named Tower of the Saint. Her class was aptly named Saint, though it seems that it worked similarly to the bishop class, which promotes from monks and clerics, wielders of light magic and staves respectively.” Mark responded, tracing the country to the right of the Western Isles. 

“So there’s different kinds of magic then? Athos seemed to be a master of all of them, and this saint looks like she mastered light magic at the least.” Izuku asked for clarification, noting the similarities between the Eliminean church and those of the Christian variety from his own world.

“Yes, three classifications, to be exact. Light, anima and dark. Anima is what we understand to be elemental magic, like fire or thunder. Not much is actually known about dark magic, but it seems the users suffer nasty repercussions if they mess up.” Mark flipped the reference book to the bishop class tree, a note indicating that monks had to obviously be male. A handwritten list of names of common light magic spells marked the corner of the page, consisting of; Lightning, Shine, Purge and Divine.

On the opposite page lay the druid class tree, which only consisted of shaman; befitting of its relatively unknown status. Mark turned the page, revealing a comparatively extensive list for anima magic users. It contained two trees, the valkyrie class which promoted from staff-wielding troubadours and the archsage class tree, which promoted from sages who promoted from mages. Most of the promoted magic classes seemed to be able to wield their chosen type of magic as well as staves.

“Moving on to the north is Ilia, a country constantly buried in snow. It was established by Barigan the Knight, a paladin. Due to the nature of the climate, many Ilians become mercenaries. The men become sword and lance-wielding cavaliers while the women tame the native pegasi and become pegasus knights. The commanders of these mercenary groups are often promoted paladins or falcon knights. It’s said that Barigan’s cape fasteners became the basis of the Knight Crest; the promotion item for armour knights and cavaliers. Most Ilians have purple or blue hair, making them relatively easy to identify.” Mark outlined the north of the map, which, oddly enough, was a degree paler than the rest.

“Is that why you thought that I was Sacaen?” Izuku asked, pointing to his own green hair.

“Yeah. That and the area we’re around at the moment.” Mark replied, stretching his hand across the open plains on the right side of the map. “Three major nomadic tribes live in the area; the Lorca, the Kutolah and the Djute. They were established by Hanon the Horseman, a female nomadic trooper with striking green hair. That trait was passed down to her kinsmen, who continue to be nomadic troopers and swordmasters. Most are honest to a fault and make trustworthy allies.”

“They sound like good company.” Izuku commented, reminded of Tsuyu who also sported green hair.

“Perhaps, but I’ve heard that they're more stubborn than a bull when they want to be.” Mark joked, before pointing to the middle of the map.

“This area is known as Lycia, a federation of various territories founded by the Champion Roland. He was a hero of the people who promoted beyond the hero class into a champion, though the specifics of the class are rather vague.” Izuku’s eyes lit up at the mention of hero, leaning closer to the Lycian territory as if to gleam Roland’s heroic presence from it.

“Hold on, there’s still one major country to go.” Mark gently pulled Izuku back, tapping Bern on the map with his knuckle. “The nation of Bern, founded by the greatest hero, Hartmut, who went on to become its first king. It’s military is bolstered by the wyvern riders who’ve tamed the native wyvern population. It’s also home to the Black Fang, a group of noble assassins and mercenaries. They’ve been silent for the past while though, and no one seems to know why.”

“The greatest hero? What did he do?” Izuku asked with his eyes ablaze. Was this Hartmut anything like All Might?

“He led the Eight Legends during the Scouring, defeating the dragons who wrecked havoc on the continent in a massive war thousands of years ago.” Mark answered with some dramatic flair, becoming absorbed into Izuku’s interest.

“Wait, so only Roland and Hartmut were heroes? How does that work? I thought heroes are those who save others. Wouldn’t they all be heroes?” Izuku noted, surprised that only two of the eight people who saved the continent were considered ‘heroes’.

“Well, hero is an honorific bestowed upon promoted mercenaries. The class is so renowned that not only one, but two of the Eight Legends were of that class.” Mark explained, flipping to the page in the class manual.

“So heroes only use axes and swords?” Izuku asked, noting the pictured hero’s sword sheathed in his shield, as well as the large axe on his back.

“Yeah, if you wanted to be a hero, the only way is to start as a mercenary. It’s rather serendipitous that you already have a sword.” Mark replied, calling Izuku’s attention to the sword attached to his hip.

“I see.” Izuku had paused for a moment in thought before doing a double take. “Hold on. Hartmut, Roland, Hanon, Barigan, St. Elimine, Athos, Durban… That’s only seven, aren’t we missing one?”

“Ah, yes. They sort of disappeared at the end of the Scouring, so history is rather vague about them. Their name was Bramimond, the Enigma. From what we know, he was a master of dark magic; pushing the limit between fantasy and reality. It was thought the perfected form of his divine weapon, Apocalypse, was able to absorb any offensive magic and even teleport large groups of people at his command.” The name made Izuku freeze, remembering the robed stranger who sent him here in the first place. He thought of mentioning it to Mark, but stopped himself. Was it the right course of action? Izuku hated to think that he would endanger or burden Mark with the information. Mistaking Izuku’s silence for disbelief in his description, Mark placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Heh, but maybe I’m just exaggerating. It’s a lot to take in, especially if you’re hearing all of this for the first time.” Mark chuckled nervously, afraid he might have fried Izuku’s brain with all the information. 

“No, it’s all really interesting. So where are we now?” Izuku recomposed himself, resolving to bring up the issue with the tactician later.

“We’re here, just north of the border of Bern. In a few days, we’ll reach Bulgar to group with the rest of the mercenary group I’m leading for the assignment. I’m currently travelling with the leader and a couple of his subordinates. How about we go and meet them now? It’s about time for us to move out anyway.” Mark pointed, opening the entrance flap of his tent to the small camp that was set up around them, packed up onto horses as a grass green-haired man walked up to their tent.

“Ah, Glass, is everyone ready to go?” Mark waved the mercenary over. They wore a simple red tunic with a yellow sash attaching his broadsword to his back. Despite having said nothing, his aura felt scarily similar to Kacchan, causing Izuku to shrink unconsciously.

“Yeah kid. We’re ready to move when you are. We should hit the third-way point to Bulgar by the evening. So... who’s the runt?” Glass nodded, before his last statement clicked with Izuku. The mercenary and Kacchan were rather crude in nature. Glass’ question also made Izuku realize how short he was compared to the others. He himself was five feet five inches, but Mark was two inches taller and Glass stood towering at roughly six feet.

“A friend of mine who’s gaining mercenary experience. You think you can show him some of your moves while I pack my things?” Mark responded without hesitation, pulling Izuku from out of behind him and pushing him to the mercenary.

“Hah, considering my skill? I don’t see the harm. Come on runt, let’s see your teeth.” 

‘Ah, there’s the overwhelming confidence in their abilities’, Izuku thought as Mark went back into his tent to clean up his planning table and get ready to move. Glass dragged Izuku over to a relatively open area, drawing his sword from his back and resting it on his shoulder. 

“What are you waiting for, runt? Draw your blade and come at me!” Glass taunted as Izuku drew his sword, holding it with mild trepidation. He certainly didn’t use swords. Perhaps he could get away with punching the guy with Full Cowl as the blade hit him? It was worth a shot at least.

Clenching his buttocks, Izuku internally screamed ‘SMASH!’ in his heart as he charged forward, faking out a slash before trying to smash the pommel of his blade into Glass’ gut.

“What kind of pansy shit is this? The kid didn’t tell me you didn’t know how to use a sword at all. Try again, I’m going to beat swordsmanship into you.” Glass spat as he reset his stance, sword leaning against his shoulder once more. The mercenary had easily deflected Izuku’s slash and kicked the young man to the ground.

He now realized what Bramimond meant when he said some things could not be retained. He couldn’t feel One For All in the slightest. He ran through other strategies he could use as he got to his feet, filing his worries about One For All away until after this sparring session with Glass finished.

Izuku’s first thought was Stain’s fighting style, dismissing it after remembering how Stain relied on multiple weapons and the activation on his quirk rather than his skill with a single cracked katana, much less a pristine european longsword like the one Izuku held at the moment.

His next thought were pro-heroes that used swords. He narrowed down three that he could remember. Seiba, Mr. Brave and Hawks. Seiba’s style stemmed from his body being made of blades. Mr. Brave relied on the constant formation of hardened hair from his quirk as they broke in battle. That only left Hawks, the current Number Three hero. His wings contained two long sword-length feathers which he used to disable villains at close range. His style was the closest thing Izuku would be able to replicate, as well as the hero he’s done the most analysis on out of his three options.

“Oho? Now we’re talking. Come at me runt!” Glass quirked an eyebrow at Izuku’s stance. The young man held the blade with more confidence, holding up the blade two handed at his side. And then he lunged.

====

“Haha, even if you did grow some backbone, it wouldn’t be enough to scratch me! We’re going to go over drills when we set up camp for the night. Keep working on it, and you might be able to take out a bandit or two by next month!” Glass laughed, clapping Izuku’s back as they walked through the prairie. Izuku’s lunge managed to impress Glass enough to stop calling him a runt. It had been as easily deflected as the first attack, but the mercenary seemed to respect Izuku’s ability to adapt.

Behind them was Mark, who walked a ways behind the two, chatting with one of Glass’ subordinates; a man named Ringue who wore a bow on his back. They took up the rear, along with the horses carrying their gear. Further ahead was another one of Glass’ subordinates, a man named Bank who acted as their scout who seemed to keep to himself. Izuku had thumbed through the rest of Mark’s class manual, which he now kept in his bag for reference. He identified Ringue as an archer and assumed Bank was a thief, considering his cloak and dagger-like sword. There were four others of Glass’ group, three who waited for them in Bulgar and another that would meet them halfway.

“Glass, three bandits in the distance to the west, they’ve spotted the horses and are coming our way.” Bank returned from his position, stopping the group.

“Haha let them come! It will be good to show off my skills in practice. Kid, command is yours. Rookie, watch and learn.” Glass laughed as he unsheathed his blade. Practically, it wasn’t much better than runt, but at least it wasn’t as rude.

“Izuku, stay by my side and help me set up my planning table. Glass, up front, you know what to do.” Mark commanded, pulling his table from a horse’s pack and stood it up with Izuku, quickly giving an order to the mercenary. Revealing a waist-bound satchel under his cape, Mark took out a map of the area, retrieving three red stones and four azure facsimiles of his allies’ classes, an archer, thief and two mercenaries.

“Ringue, there is an outcropping of rocks which will provide the high ground. Head there and take your shot. Banks, go through the brush and flank them after Glass draws their attention. Move out.” With their commands, the group quickly moved into position. Izuku simply stood by Mark and watched as the tactician loosened his scarf, gaze focused on his map.

“We’re only going to scare them off, right?” Izuku asked nervously, the idea of killing another person completely foreign to his mind.

“Yes, they will be sufficiently scared off when they are dead.” Mark responded offhandedly, moving a mercenary piece and three of the red stones closer together.

“Wait, we’re going to kill them!?” He almost shrieked, the idea of killing another person completely foreign to him.

“Yes, if we don’t, they’ll kill us. Bandits are ruthless around these parts. I need to prioritize the life of my allies over those of my enemies. I thought you wanted to be a hero.” Mark answered as Glass began fending off the first brigand in the distance, parrying the bandit’s leaping smash with a twist of his blade and beheading him with a side slash.

“But I don’t want to kill anyone!” Izuku dissented, having missed Glass’ display of expertise, too unwilling to budge on his morals to condone murder.

“Then what kind of hero did you want to be?” Mark argued, unable to believe that Izuku wanted to become a hero without any experience in battle. He missed Glass’ kill on the second brigand, the mercenary piercing the bandit’s chest with a well-placed thrust.

“The heroic kind!” Izuku retorted, causing both to miss Ringue and Bank finish off the last bandit with an accurate shot to the shoulder before the brigand was shanked, falling into the grass with a slump.

“Tch. We can argue this later, but Glass isn’t going to be happy if he hears about this. I’ll keep you at the back of the fight while the others deal with it. Don’t make a point about bringing it up unless you want to get sent home. You’re of no use to a mercenary band if you’re not willing to fight.” Mark clicked his tongue as he silenced Izuku as Glass and his subordinates returned to the duo.

“So Rookie, what did you think of that? Pretty sick, don’t you think?” Glass smirked as he made a show of dusting himself off, causing Izuku to flinch in disgust. He quickly recomposed himself with a quick elbow from Mark.

“Y-yeah! You’re going to have to… um… teach me sometime.” Izuku managed to cough out. The mercenary’s attitude was closer to the muscle quirk villain, considering his blasé attitude to killing two people. 

“Haha, good answer! Let’s get going then. Bank, did you find anything?” Glass laughed as he clapped Izuku on the back, turning to the thief who pulled a small bottle from inside their cloak.

“The last one had a bottle of pure water on them. Looks like loot from a raid on some monks. Seemed dropped rather than taken.” He said with a flat tone, pointing out some scuffs on the bottom and a stain that was clearly mud-brown rather than dark maroon.

“Eh? Will we need it, kid?” Glass quirked an eyebrow as he redirected the question to the group’s strategist.

“I doubt it, the nearest mage has to be back at Bern; it’s only bandits or Sacaens out here.” Mark responded as he rolled up his map, beckoning to Izuku to help him fold his planning table to avoid any awkward conversation with the mercenaries. 

“We’ll pawn it off when we hit Bulgar then. You keep it for now, Rookie.” Glass decided as Bank scratched the hardened mud off before passing it to Izuku. The young student simply stared at the bottle for a moment before he caught Ringue in the corner of his eye. The archer mimed placing a bottle into his belt, which Izuku repeated with a red tinge on his cheeks.

“Alright, let’s get moving! Bank, I’m coming with you. Ringue, cover our rears.” Glass commanded as he and Bank took point, leading the horses as Izuku walked behind with Mark and Ringue.

“Thanks for earlier, Ringue. I wasn’t sure what to do with the bottle.” Izuku bowed his head as he walked.

“Don’t sweat it… Rookie? I know that’s what Glass calls you, but what’s your name?” Ringue waved away Izuku’s concerns, asking the young man a question in turn.

“It’s Izuku, Izuku Midoriya.” The student responded, realizing that he hadn’t actually introduced himself to the rest of the group.

“Yeah, don’t sweat it Izuku. Everyone is a rookie at first. Just follow Glass and you’ll get used to the flow of things eventually. There’s a reason why he’s our leader, even if he’s a little abrasive.” Ringue explained, piquing Izuku’s interest. It was a minor thought that had been wandering Izuku’s mind. Mark seemed interested as well, walking on the other side of Ringue.

“He’s the one who gathered all of us together. Bank,myself, Porc, Bub, Mac and Aron. We’re only a team because his leadership shines through; even if Mark pulls all the tactical shots. Plus, he’ll never admit it, but he really cares about all of us. It’s why he doesn’t hesitate to put himself on the front line.” Ringue said with a smirk, though his tone carried a hint of admiration. Izuku nodded, understanding the archer’s feelings. 

The three walked in amicable conversation, Ringue laughing at Mark’s retelling of how Orion’s bolts were made, though he did confirm it was accurate. An experienced nomad from his tribe had made the shot, firing two arrows at once during a thunderstorm.

“So Ringue, you seem Sacaen, how come you aren’t a nomad? I thought those were more common around here.” Izuku asked, putting Mark’s earlier explanations to the test. Ringue had olive-green hair, giving some credence to Izuku’s notion.

“Oh? I couldn’t get used to the feeling of the saddle. My shots would always fly wide on horseback, so I gave up on it and took to using a bow on foot.” Ringue said with a hint of disdain, shrugging before carding his fingers through his hair. “Plus, headbands aren’t really my style. With hair like ours, those things would just get in the way, right?”

“Yeah. My hair’s been like this since I was born.” Izuku laughed, trying to do the same without getting his fingers stuck in his curls. “So you and Glass are Sacaen, right? What about Bank and the others?”

“That’s right. Porc as well, although he’s the only one that follows Sacaen traditions. Bank and the others are from the northern areas of Bern. We picked them up from other jobs and they’ve stayed on ever since.” Ringue nodded, pointing his thumb over his back to where they had been.

“Ah, so is he a nomad or a myrmidon? How come Glass isn’t a myrmidon if he’s Sacaen?” Izuku asked, hoping he wasn’t prying too much.

“Myrmidon. As for Glass, he always dreamed of being a famous hero. He saw one fight off a bunch of bandits when he was younger and wanted to be just like them. You should have seen his face when he realized his talent with a sword.” Ringue mused, a nostalgic smile stretched upon his face; causing Izuku to almost forget that these people were technically murderers. Hadn’t he been the same when he was younger? Inspired by heroes to become like them. He spent the rest of the walk in pensive silence, reflecting on the things he heard.

====

The group had their lunch on the go and managed to make it to the destination point for the day by the early evening. Glass called Izuku aside as Bank prepared supper while Ringue and Mark set up camp. Mark gave Izuku a pointed glare of warning, reminding him not to aggravate the mercenary leader.

“Rookie, we have some free time. How about we run some drills while they’re doing their thing. It’ll be good practice for you if you want to be a mercenary too.” Glass pointed to the clearing behind them; perfect for practicing blade and footwork.

“Y-yeah, let’s do it.” Izuku responded with some hesitation, following the mercenary and drawing his blade.

“Good, let’s see your form again. You’re still a rookie after all.” The mercenary taunted, drawing his broadsword and holding it against his shoulder. Izuku nodded, holding his blade up at his side. His stance was a mere imitation of what he had tried to pull against Glass earlier.

“What’s wrong rookie? What happened to the teeth you bared earlier? Your stance is shit.” Glass prodded, a glint of concern for the new member of his crew, despite his rough tone.

“Glass… What are you doing this for? This entire mercenary thing.” Izuku asked, slightly wounded by the biting comment, but surprised by the hint of concern. He had been reflecting about the differences between himself and the mercenary.

“Huh? Did Ringue spill the beans? Tch, a sentimental guy like him has no clue how to keep things personal. If he said anything while you three were talking in the back, you probably already know.” Glass clicked his tongue in annoyance, knowing that the chill he felt on the back of his neck as he walked with Bank meant something.

“He did, but I wanted to hear it from you. If you don’t mind.” Izuku admitted, a stray thought wondering if this was a conversation he should have avoided.

“If this is your way of getting out of training, I’m going to drill slashes until dawn.” Glass threatened, sheathing his sword and taking a seat, tapping the dirt beside him to beckon Izuku to sit with him. Sheathing his own sword, Izuku took his spot, watching the sun set over the plains with Glass.

“I was lost on the plains when I was a young lad, probably half your age. Our tribe was travelling and I had wandered off doing Spirit knows what. Next thing I knew, bandits had surrounded me on every side. They were about to kidnap me and sell me to the highest bidder until a wandering hero arrived and killed them all.” He retold, eyes bright with admiration that Izuku recognized as greater than even his own.

“I want to become a famous hero so I can find and thank him someday; as miniscule of a chance as that may be.” Glass continued. Izuku simply admired All Might, but Glass? It was like he was saved by All Might. “So is that your reason too, Rookie? To become a hero?”

“Yeah, I always admired heroes. But is it really necessary to kill people to become a hero?” Izuku nodded, asking an earnest question.

“There’s no other way. The Hero Crest will only promote an experienced mercenary. The only way to gain experience is by killing and increasing your skill in tandem. Not prepared to do the deed rookie?” Glass explained, something Mark missed as he was explaining the promotion system.

“Not really. I don’t think I’d be able to live with the consequences.” Izuku responded, thinking of Kota. The boy’s parents had been killed by a villain. Would Izuku be willing to do the same to fulfill his dream?

“You’ll need to eventually. The world isn’t that kind enough to turn the other cheek. If you’re not going to fight, you might as well go home. I can hook you up with a guide once we get to Bulga-” Glass spoke before Izuku suddenly stood up.

“I made a promise to become a hero! If that’s what it takes I’ll do it! Please teach me your skills, Glass!” Izuku shouted as he bowed to the mercenary, drawing the attention of the others at the camp. He couldn’t afford to fail Bramimond after the stranger had wanted him to save the world. If it required killing people, Izuku would do his best to make sure that it was criminals and villains at the very least. His thoughts went to the villains who wanted to kill him and his friends at USJ, or the muscle villain he nearly died trying to defeat.

“Your confidence is good, but you can afford to be a little more subtle about it, Rookie. But I get you. Let me show you how a true mercenary fights.” Glass smirked, waving off the others as he unsheathed his sword, two-handing it in front of him.

“I’ll do my best to learn, Glass!” Izuku responded as he drew his own sword, resolve solidified as he took his stance. They trained until Ringue called them over for supper, the archer whistling in slight awe at the two sword fighters swinging their blades in-sync, perspiration glistening on their arms in the dying light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my beta-reader, GoldenWitch! Check out her FE3H fanfic!  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/20589941/chapters/48882833


	2. A Boy on the Plains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still new to the world of Elibe, Izuku found himself tagging along with Mark and the mercenary group led by Glass. Having affirmed his convictions to save the world and become a hero, both in a figurative and literal sense, the group heads to Bulgar, preparing themselves in the city to complete Mark’s mission in Sacae.

Supper was a light affair, made filling by the bonds the group now shared. Even Bank seemed to lighten up, reminding Izuku of Shoji with his disposition to silence. He had put his hood down, revealing a moderately handsome face framed by blond hair. He told Izuku that it was common for people of Bern to have either maroon or blonde hair, with Mark’s variation of brown being more uncommon. After the meal, they retired to their tents. Izuku followed Mark, not having a tent of his own. The interior was set up as before; a single candle providing warm light.

“You can take the bed, I’ll lie on my pack. Make sure you take your things off this time; you don’t want your sword poking you by accident.” Mark suggested, shedding his cape to use as a blanket later. He sat on the ground near the candle, rolling out his map with some blue and red stones in different formations. He pulled out some of the figurines that had represented his allies earlier, along with some representing other classes Izuku could recognize.

“Are you sure? It’s your bed. I don’t mind roughing it on the floor.” Izuku offered, shedding his bag and the extremities on his belt onto a spot near the tent’s entrance.

“Yeah, I’m going to be up late doing this.” Mark replied, tapping his map as he placed the stones and figures in an array. Instead of going to his bed, Izuku sat on the opposite end of the map.

“Do you mind if I join you? I’d like to know what it is that you’re doing. Is this like shogi or go?” Izuku asked, picking up a red stone and examining it. Placing it back down, he analyzed the map, noticing that unlike in shogi or go, the terrain wasn’t uniform. Instead, there were bushes, hills and trees which mirrored the terrain of the plains.

“Sure, I don’t mind. Are those games from your tribe? I’m afraid I haven’t heard of them. This is a form of tactics practice that we did often at the academy. I’m already adept with the rules, so you can use the practice manual.” Mark rubbed the back of his head, explaining the game. He passed a thin manual to Izuku, who opened it and found it was a simplified class manual with the games rules illustrating the first couple pages. 

The rules seemed to be similar to chess or shogi, with certain caveats that expanded its use as a tactical tool. The figures mirrored the classes Mark had discussed earlier, with the manual’s later pages detailing their abilities in the game. 

Rather than claiming pieces, each piece had a hit point value, ranging from 2-5 which had to be depleted to remove them from the field through ‘combat’. Each piece also had a damage value, which varied depending on the matchup. It seemed that though each piece had a certain movement range, a player had quite a bit of freedom in terms of maneuverability. Promotions occurred after defeating a certain amount of pieces depending on the class, which replenished hit points. The promotion also allowed for the unit to change their weapon, though Izuku was unsure of the tactical significance of going to and from weapons as of yet.

“At the back of the manual are some basic drills to prepare novice tacticians to the concepts which they will use in the field. There’s also some advanced and grandmaster formations for self-study, which I usually contend with. Let’s start with the first and see how you get used to it.” Mark pointed out before setting six figures on the map, three blue for Izuku and three red for himself. According to the manual, the figures with a sword similar to Glass’ were mercenaries, the lightly armoured lance wielders were soldiers and the burly men carrying axes on their back were axe fighters.

“So there’s a concept introduced to us tacticians called the  _ weapon triangle _ . The way weapons are built innately grant them advantages over another weapon type. For example, swords will best axes, which is why a mercenary will deal three points of damage to an axe fighter. Lances best swords, and axes will best lances. Going against a disadvantageous type results in only dealing one point of damage. Fighting the same type results in an attack that deals two points of damage. There are various exceptions in the real world, but this is the way it usually works.” Mark explained, lining up the figures in two lines parallel from each other. “Come and try it.”

‘So just follow the triangle rule and it should be just fine.’ Izuku thought as he lined up his soldier against Mark’s mercenary, mercenary against axe fighter, and axe fighter against soldier.

“Good, let’s see how you fare with a unit at range. Archers like Ringue can only reliably attack at range. Bows are outside the weapon triangle and deal a flat two damage to every unit.” Mark nodded, positioning a red piece a fair distance from a blue archer figure and a blue mercenary figure. Both pieces were only able to move two spaces, but due to the archer’s range, their attack could reach where the mercenary would not. Izuku nodded in understanding, using his archer to defeat Mark’s red piece.

“Hm, it seems like the basics may be too simplistic. The concepts of the battle aren’t quite well known in Sacae, but perhaps I am underestimating your ability to catch on. How about we do something more advanced?” Mark began to move pieces around, taking three red pieces and five blue pieces into a familiar formation.

“Isn’t this the situation we had earlier today?” Izuku noticed, seeing a mercenary and tactician piece out of the way of the rest of the pieces.

“Yes, it is. Brigand facsimiles aren’t produced as often as the others, so we’ll be subbing them with simple red pieces. It’s what the academy uses for unidentifiable enemies, so it basically works the same. Let’s see if you can replicate my plan for engagement. We weren’t exactly paying attention to the battle due to our arguing anyway.” Mark snarked as he set the pieces a reasonable distance apart from each other, requiring a turn of movement from Izuku before any pieces could fight.

“And each of the three have to contribute to taking down at least one enemy.” Mark’s final requirement gave Izuku pause. He most likely could easily defeat all three with his mercenary, but the condition set his mind to work; dipping into the resources he’d typically use for hero analysis.

After some careful calculation, accompanied by a healthy bit of mumbling (not that Mark minded, he had taken note of Izuku’s odd habit, rather pleased that the practice sparked the young man’s interest enough to mumble), Izuku moved his units in a ‘L’ formation; the mercenary at the front, the thief directly behind, and the archer to the right of the thief.

“Hm. Let’s see if it holds up.” Mark nodded in approval as he moved all three of his own pieces closer, attacking Izuku’s mercenary. The mercenary took out two of the brigands, before succumbing to the third. With the following turn, Izuku defeated the last brigand with the archer and thief; ‘winning’ the bout.

“It’s a feasible stratagem, but I’d hate to sacrifice Glass in such a small scuffle. Why don’t you try using the terrain to your advantage?” Mark nodded, grounding Izuku in the thought that he needed to remember that these pieces represented people that tacticians like Mark had to weigh the lives of each time they gave a command. With renewed focus, Izuku rotated his formation clockwise and moved forward to the right, two spaces below a forest.

“Good, let’s see the fruits of your strategy.” Mark commented as he moved his units to attack; two dying to the mercenary’s blade while the last brigand was slowed by the forest. Izuku then coordinated his archer, thief and mercenary to take down the last brigand; ending the battle without any casualties.

“Alright, now we can actually practice. You think you can beat me, Izuku?” Mark taunted, taking out all the pieces he had in his bag and lining them up, limiting the pieces on both sides to ten.

“You’re on, Mark!”

====

“You kids look like you haven’t slept in years! What the hell happened in your tent last night?” Glass smirked as he passed the two some soup, the bags under Izuku’s eyes in particular obscuring some of his freckles. Mark stifled a yawn with little success.

“Tactics…” Mark whispered, taking one of the steaming bowls and drinking it all in one go, drawing a look of concern from Ringue, who had been eating his soup calmly with a wooden spoon.

“I still think it's bullshit that your assassin from game seven literally wiped my entire team.” Izuku complained, kneading his cheeks with his palms before taking a bowl of soup, sniffing it before doing the same as Mark; holding the bowl out for more. “Is that even humanly possible? A single assassin taking out an entire battalion?”

“It’s happened once with a noble and his entire town of citizens. Apparently, he was a paladin though. There’s rumours he joined the Black Fang, but I’m surprised they let him join if he did.” Mark explained, dusting himself off and getting up.

“I’m going to go wash up and pack our things. Go train a bit with Glass before we hit the road.” The tactician directed as he turned and walked back into the tent.

“Yeah, sure thing.” Izuku responded as he downed another bowl, passing it to Bank to put it away as he tapped his empty waist.

“Ah, I forgot my sword in the tent. Let me grab it.” Izuku stood and took a few steps before falling over from exhaustion. He was saved from hitting the ground by Ringue’s quick reaction; the archer slid and caught the boy before he could hurt himself.

“Spirits, those two have no idea how to hold back. Intense physical training and an all-nighter is not a good combo. Lay the rookie down for now until we finish packing. We’ll throw him on the lightest horse with the kid. I doubt the kid can go on for much longer either.” Glass facepalmed as Ringue laid Izuku down on a soft patch of grass, placing his bag under the boy’s neck as a makeshift pillow.

“Bank, go check on the kid and make sure he hasn’t passed out either. Help him pack and I’ll deal with our stuff. Ringue, keep an eye on the rookie and finish your soup. You’re on cleaning duty today.” Glass commanded as he finished his own soup, leaving to pack up the mercenaries’ things.

“You’re quite a handful, aren’t you, Izuku? Going too fast for your own good isn’t healthy. Hopefully, you learn that before it’s too late.” Ringue mused as he finished his soup, putting out the smouldering campfire and taking the bowls to a nearby stream to clean them up. The group loaded up their things and left with little fanfare; much to the unawareness of the sleeping Izuku.

====

The rhythmic clopping of horse hooves roused the green-haired student to a state of semi-consciousness.

“So is you waking up in an awkward position relative to me something I should come to expect?” Izuku heard as he slowly came to. He couldn’t understand what the voice meant, rubbing his face on the cloth in front of him to clear his mind.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” The voice sighed, registering to Izuku as Mark’s. Inching closer to complete consciousness, Izuku noticed his arms held tightly around something.

“I wasn’t aware you were such a passionate cuddler, Izuku.” The last statement finally woke Izuku. It was sometime early in the evening. The ‘thing’ he had been holding onto was Mark’s torso atop a horse which they rode together. The cloth he rubbed his face onto was the tactician’s scarf. Around him was Mark’s cape, which protected him from the winds.

“Ah, I’m sorry Mark! I didn’t know!” Izuku scrambled, taking his arms away to flail comically, almost falling off the horse had Mark not grabbed his hand and placed it back around his torso.

“Careful now, falling off the horse is quite painful. This is standard for multiple riders; I don’t particularly mind.” Mark smirked, adjusting the reins as the horse trotted along. 

“Ah… then if you don’t mind.” Izuku mumbled as he readjusted his grip around Mark. Mark didn’t need to turn around to notice the boy’s embarrassment. This sort of intimacy was rather rare, after all. He doubted Izuku would have had the same closeness to anyone other than his parents.

“We’re close to the rendezvous point. Glass’ friend Porc blazed past it and helped us with another bandit attack while you were out. He’s that one over there, with the seaweed hair and headband. I knew myrmidons were pretty acrobatic, but to perform a vertical spinning slash from a front flip was something that had to be seen to be believed.” Mark described, pointing to the swordsman beside Glass, about half a head shorter who sported the aforementioned seaweed-green hair and headband. On his right hip was his scabbard, which sheathed a blade which seemed like a mix between a katana and a scimitar. 

The Sacaen swordsman turned and noticed the duo on horseback, giving a slight bow of the head in greeting, before continuing to speak with Glass.

A little while longer and the group came upon a campfire and a small one-person tent, Porc’s things that he had left behind to meet the group halfway. Beginning to set up camp, Mark retired to his tent to finally rest while Izuku was dragged away by Glass and Porc.

“You skipped morning training, now we’re going to train twice as hard. Porc here will be your sparring partner. Unlike the two of us, he’s a myrmidon. Not only is his technique completely different from mine, but he has the edge in speed. The round ends when he thinks you’re on an equal playing field. He brought a vulnerary, so don’t sweat getting hurt too much.” Glass spoke with a hint of playful malice, pounding his fists together as Porc let his expression wrap into a sneer; tossing the mercenary the vulnerary as he drew his blade.

“I’ll do my best. Thanks for obliging me.” Izuku nodded as he drew his sword, holding it by his side. He immediately held it up, blocking an unexpected spinning slash from the myrmidon. 

“Don’t thank me yet kid. We still got the entire session ahead of us. I’m going to drill you until you drop.” Porc grinned, flipping back mid-air and landing in a crouch. He blitzed forward, close to the ground as Izuku tried to bring his sword down on top of his attacker.

‘He’s fast!’ Izuku thought as the myrmidon slid past his slash, appearing at Izuku’s side; blade raised as to slash the hero-in-training. Izuku braced himself for a cut, only to be surprised when he was met with a kick instead; throwing him into the dirt.

“This is it? How long has he been training, Glass? I think I went too hard on him.” Porc sheathed his blade, turning to Glass, who simply held up a finger; representing the days .

“I think you did.” Izuku groaned. His ribs hurt a bit, but nothing felt broken, much to his relief. He pushed himself up, holding his blade at the ready. “But... I’d like to keep going.”

“Hoh? So this is what you meant, Glass. Alright kid, let’s dance! If you freeze; you’re toast!” Porc drew his blade in a flash, rushing at Izuku. The myrmidon leapt and spun in the air, bringing his blade down on Izuku once more.

“Gladly!” Izuku shouted back, parrying the falling blade rather than blocking it. Porc simply dodged the parry with a flip over Izuku, catching the boy’s blade with his own.

“You’re quick to adapt kid, I’ll give you that. I can see why Glass took you on.” Porc complimented, a fierce grin matching Izuku’s own as their blades locked.

“But you’ve still got much to learn.” Porc chuckled as he tripped Izuku with his footwork and sent the young man rolling into the dirt once more. With a ‘oomph’, Izuku fell onto his rear, grabbing his sword and tousling his hair with his free hand.

“Here, this is where the fun begins.” A hand appeared in Izuku’s field of vision which Izuku took, Porc pulling up the young mercenary onto his feet.

“Is it? Getting thrown to the ground was starting to get boring!” Izuku retorted, breaking distance between the two before rushing at the myrmidon.

He only ate the dust about twenty more times throughout their training session. Ringue, who had finished making camp and came by to watch, joked that Izuku would have made a lucrative farmer considering his affinity for the earth.

====

Practice ended late into the evening when Izuku’s arms went numb, unable to properly swing his sword and thoroughly exhausted. His clothes were caked with dust and grass stains; subtly hidden by the green colouring of his tunic. They had a surprisingly small amount of cuts across them, speaking to Porc’s skill and his restraint from hitting anything but Izuku’s own blade. Porc himself only suffered a few superficial scratches. The only real sign of a long training session was the heaving breaths and droplets of sweat which glistened in the dying twilight.

“It’s starting to get hard to see. Go to the river, freshen up and meet us at the camp for supper. Ringue, you’re on lookout.” Glass ordered as he went to check on Mark and Bank. He took Izuku and Porc’s swords, doing the maintenance that the duo were far too tired to do well.

“Alright you two, let’s hurry up so we can eat!” Ringue slipped between the two, supporting them to the river. Porc simply slipped off his headband and washed off the sweat on his face. Izuku stood back and watched.

“Are we sure it’s clean?” Izuku prodded. Even the training camp had proper showers.

“Did you tribe never teach you? Look at the other side of the river, Izuku.” Ringue pointed, directing Izuku’s gaze to a herd of deer who were drinking from the other side of the river.

“It’s just some deer. What about them?” Izuku tilted his head, sitting on the bank. He had shed his tunic, scratching the dirt off of it, sparing a glance at the herd Ringue was pointing to.

“They drink from the water because it’s safe. And plus…” Ringue explained before taking an arrow and shooting it into the lake, repeating the action five more times. Porc waded into the river to collect the arrows, each tipped with a fish. 

“Those fish only live in freshwater. They’ll be great over the fire.” Ringue smirked as he envisioned supper, passing an extra knife to Porc as the two began gutting the fish, tossing the viscera back into the river for nature to repurpose them.

“Go upstream a bit, the water should be clear there.” Ringue directed as he flicked some entrails downstream, splashes collecting around the area accenting his point.

“Thanks, I’ll be back in a sec.” Izuku nodded as he headed up the river, washing his head in the water, shaking the loose droplets from his curls and wiping his face on his sleeve. Satisfied, he walked back to Ringue and Porc, who had finished cleaning their catch and had mounted them onto sticks. They headed back to the camp together; Izuku carrying Ringue’s catch so the archer could continue to act as a scout. 

Approaching the camp, Glass waved them over to him and Bank sitting by the fire. Bank was tending to a soup, stirring it occasionally. He was polishing the swords Porc and Izuku used, returning them to a satisfactory condition. Despite the polishing, Porc’s blade seemed to be worse off; with a small chip near the base of the blade remaining.

“Welcome back. Sweet, you guys caught some fish? What do you want to do with them, Bank?” Glass noticed the fish carried by Izuku and Porc, nudging the apparent chef of the group.

“We should roast them by the fire. They’ll taste better that way compared to putting them in the soup.” Bank replied, eliciting a small fist pump from Ringue in Izuku’s periphery. The thief took the fish and sprinkled them with a pinch of salt before pitching them around the fire.

“Rookie, go check on the kid. See if you can get him to have some soup. The last of the bread is going if he doesn’t take some now.” Glass directed, already breaking a piece off for himself and Porc. He tossed another piece to Izuku, who nearly fumbled it as he went heading into Mark’s tent.

“Hey Mark, are you awake?” Izuku asked as he peered through the canvas which covered the entrance to the tent. Mark lay peacefully in the bed; a messy line of hastily discarded items and clothing strewn about. It seemed like the tactician hadn’t slept since he woke two days before. Izuku quietly left the piece of bread on a table before ducking out, sitting by the fire.

“I guess he’s still out. Come, have a fish. You’ve earned it.” Glass assumed as Izuku came back alone, passing him a fish. Izuku gave it a cursory glance before taking a bite.

Perhaps it was due to the lack of familiar foods, both from the training camp and his arrival to this new place, or maybe the strain of physical training lowered his emotional guard; leading Izuku to tears when he tasted the fish.

Despite his heroic resolve, he really missed home.

====

Izuku had passed out on the floor as soon as he made it past the tent curtain. The night before had been relatively quiet. Glass and his compatriots didn’t really know how to deal with things; simply resorting to patting Izuku on the back and giving him some generic encouragement. Ringue had even gone out of his way to catch the exact same fish for Izuku the next morning. 

“Oh, Izuku. You seem to like the char. Was it a fish you ate often?” Mark asked when Bank handed Izuku one of the fish, oblivious to the events of the night before. His casual statement caused Izuku to choke on his bite of fish.

“It’s similar to one I had before. They almost taste the exact same.” Izuku responded after beating his chest to clear his throat. He was still a little embarrassed about last night, and kept what happened to himself.

“I see. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten one of these. Pass me one, Ringue.” Mark nodded as he was given a fish. He took a bite and hummed in minor satisfaction. The group had a small meal before getting ready to move out.

====

After finishing up, the group prepared to enter Bulgar; the city only a day’s journey away. The trip was uneventful, allowing Izuku to take in the grass of the plains wave playfully in the morning breeze. He had no deeply personal love of nature, but just being in the moment let him appreciate the beauty that others came to love the plains for. Before long, the group approached the gates of the city. 

“Wait up here, I’ll get the guards to lower the gates.” Porc called out before running off, disappearing with one of the gatekeepers. After a moment, the gates opened unto the bustling city marketplace of Bulgar.

“Magic tomes straight from Aquleia! Icons from The Tower of the Saint! Vulneraries! I sell two for 500 gold! Anybody want a new pair of boots? Steel bow and arrows, straight from Bern!” The various merchants barked, clamouring for the crowds to come and buy their merchandise from the various stalls lining the street. Izuku felt overwhelmed by the atmosphere. The place looked like a juiced up medieval fair.

“Stay close, rookie; this place will swallow newcomers whole. Ringue! You’re supposed to be setting a good example!” Glass ordered, yelling at his comrade who began to drift away from the group, ogling a merchant waving a bow and arrow around.

“But I haven’t used one of those yet! Do you think he’ll let me try it?” Ringue said with barely-contained excitement. Glass just gave him a look of mild disappointment. It seemed like it was not the first time Ringue had become like this.

“Stuff like this is why Bank handles our gold. Let’s just find the guys first; you can test as many bows as you want after.” Glass sighed as Porc waved the group to follow him, taking them into a side alley away from the marketplace.

“We couldn’t do this the normal way?” Glass asked as Porc stopped the group; glancing back at the figure blocking the way back and the two that stepped out of adjacent alleyways in front of them.

“You know how it is. We prefer to do things this way.” Porc sneered, the situation turning for the worse. Bank dismounted from his horse and covered the rear, but interestingly, Ringue was at the front with Glass. Izuku stood by Mark, unsure of what to do, but determined to protect his new friend if it came down to it.

“Wait, rookie. We’ll deal with this.” Glass called as he cracked his knuckles, walking up until he was a breath away from the two figures in front of Porc. They raised their arms, as if they were about to punch the living daylights out of Glass. Izuku blinked as the sound of flesh hitting flesh resounded in the alleyway.

“Good to see you boys again! I brought a new recruit!” The sound had been made by the rather manly handshake shared by Glass and the two in front of him. Ringue followed up behind his friend with a high-five to the figures, their hoods falling back to reveal two men, likely brothers.

“Rookie, these guys are the rest of our group. Mac and Aron here are brothers. Bub in the back there is one of Bank’s friends.” Glass introduced the group as he pulled Izuku away from Mark.

“H-hi! My name is Izuku. I look forward to working with you from here on out!” Izuku stammered as he bowed, still confused as to what was going on.

“Nice to meet you rookie. I’m Mac. You can tell me apart from my brother by our hair and scars.” The brother with what seemed like dreadlocks and a diagonal scar across his chest that peeked out of the tank top-like shirt he was wearing.

“I’m Aron. You from Sacae?” The other asked, bald with a scar on his bicep. Izuku replied with a nod. He did not expect that any of them would react well to ‘I was dropped off by one of the Eight Legends into your world to save it.’

“You guys need a less suspicious way of getting together.” Mark echoed Izuku’s thoughts, frowning at the easily mistaken situation. It seemed that he was out of the loop as well, but trusted Glass to take care of things.

“It’s more fun this way, no? Izuku here nearly shit himself.” Porc argued, tapping the green-haired student’s shoulder with his fist.

“I question what your definition of ‘fun’ is. Can we get to the inn? That deal on vulneraries in the marketplace is something I want to look into.” Mark sighed, looking to Glass to take the lead. With an understanding nod, Glass coughed into his fist.

“Alright boys, enough fooling around. Take us to the place, Porc.” Glass commanded, and with a smirk and a shrug, Porc led the way once again. He stopped in front of a modest building which overlooked the town square.

“This is it. I didn’t know Izuku would be part of the gang, so you’ll have to share a room with Mark. Bub, can you take the horses to the stables?” Porc presented, the third new member of the mercenaries taking their horses behind the building.

“Settle in for the night. We won’t be back for a week, so enjoy it while it lasts. Don’t get lost, don’t lose all your money, and don’t miss the wake-up call tomorrow.” Glass ordered as the group split up into their rooms. 

“C’mon, Izuku. We can explore the place after we put our things away.” Mark said as he pulled Izuku along. The room only had one bed, but luckily they brought the cot that they used on the journey inside with them. “Do you want the bed or the cot? I don’t mind either one.”

“You can take the comfier one; you have been travelling for longer than I have.” Izuku yielded, about to put his things aside before Mark stopped him.

“It’s wiser to keep your things on your person. Your sword will dissuade open confrontations, even if you don’t really know how to use it.” Mark advised as he set up the cot for later use. With everything ready, Mark checked his bag and turned to Izuku. “Let’s see if that merchant is still selling vulneraries.”

====

“They are in Bulgar. It looks like they are planning to leave tomorrow for their mission.” The bandit reported to the old man in front of him. They were in a dark room; secluded from any who might accidentally wander in on them.

“Good, prepare your men for when they are a day out from Bulgar. I look forward to seeing how well they do. Now go, before anyone catches you.” The old man directed, turning back and opening a door to the light.

“Ah, Priest Maka, I was looking for you. Could you bless our tribe’s hunts for the coming season?” A man with a bandana and silver hair in nomad clothing asked, hands full with quivers stuffed to the brim with arrows. The priest in question quickly closed the door behind him before the nomad could peer into the room.

“Of course Kudoka, it will only take a moment.” For all his wisdom and charisma with the people; Priest Maka was far too easy to replace. Travelers who sought out the temple for other blessings were easily placated with empty words and touching the blade which made the shrine sacred.

The Mani Katti. The imposter could tell with a single look that the blade was the real deal. It had no wielder, and anyone who tried would simply be compelled not to. 

The imposter had been assigned to dispatch the original priest and keep an eye near Bulgar for the time being. He even subjugated a faction of the nearby bandits to do his bidding. For now, he prepared to execute a mission of his own.

====

“It’s a good thing we got there as we did; that merchant was about to pack up for the day.” Mark commented as he bit into a meat skewer they had bought in the marketplace. They returned to their room a bit before dark; eating a small meal before retiring for the night. 

Izuku was surprised by the amount of dairy products he saw in the marketplace. The selection gave him an idea of something he could make to surprise Mark and thank the tactician for his kindness. With some gold coins he got from selling the bottle of pure water and some advice from a kind old woman who sold him some cream, he went to work preparing the surprise. He was saving it for desert with Mark, savouring the meat skewer he had in his hands. As he might have expected from the time period and area, cattle were extremely rare, the staple livestock being sheep. It was slightly different from what he was used to, but Izuku had no issue wolfing it down. Skewers fresh off the grill were good no matter what it was.

“H-hey Mark, I made something with some dessert with some things I bought earlier today. Would you like to try some?” Izuku offered with a slight stammer. What he made wasn’t rocket science, but Izuku was nervous at the thought of messing up regardless.Sweets were Satou’s territory.

“Sure, if it isn’t poison.” Mark smirked at his younger companion. To the tactician, it seemed the boy was generally shy, but could draw from a rather large wellspring of courage and determination when he needed it.

“Haha, I hope not. You don’t have a problem with milk, do you?” Izuku laughed nervously at Mark’s joke. If his new friend was lactose intolerant, Izuku’s concoction would be tantamount to poison.

“Not that I’m aware of. Come on, let me try some already! I’ll be fine.” Mark assured, fiddling with his clean skewer as Izuku nodded; portioning the treat he made into two bowls from the leather bag he made it in.

“I haven’t made this in a while, so you’ll have to bear with me.” Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, scooping some of his creation with a spoon and holding it out to Mark. “Cheers?”

“Cheers!” Mark agreed as he took a spoonful himself and wasted no time in taking a bite; his expression twisting to one of pure shock. “Ah!”

“What’s wrong?! Is it that bad?!” Izuku jolted, almost dropping his bowl. Sure, it wasn’t good by modern standards, but it didn’t taste horrible.

“Bad? Izuku, this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten! What did you make this with? How did you make it cold without ice? Do you have an affinity for ice magic that you didn’t tell me about?” Mark exclaimed, evidently pleased with Izuku’s homemade ice cream. It wasn’t easy finding ingredients, but Izuku managed to make do.

“Ah.. Just some sugar, salt, a vanilla pod, cream and a bit of the vulnerary we bought in the marketplace. Shake it around in a sealed bag for 10 minutes and you get this.” Izuku explained, glad that Mark liked his homemade ice cream. With what he had seen of the world so far; something like this was probably not invented yet or a luxury for the rich.

“You can use them like that? Where’d you learn that?” Mark responded with great enthusiasm, quickly finishing his portion before it had the chance to melt.

“Be careful! You might get a-” Izuku warned, before Mark cringed from a brain freeze. Having never experienced one before, Mark didn’t know how to deal with the foreign pain, dropping his bowl and clasping his head. Moments later, the door was kicked open as Glass and Ringue stepped into the room, blade and bow drawn.

“What the hell is going on! Kid, you alright?” Glass quickly went to Mark’s side, trying to ascertain what was wrong. Ringue kept his bow trained on Izuku, the archer’s expression clouded with confusion.

“He just ate something new. It’s just something that happens when you eat it too quickly. It will go away if you put your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Your mouth is cold and your tongue should warm it up again.” Izuku explained, hands in the air as if he was at gunpoint. In an ironic twist of fate, he remembered Mark’s poison comment. The situation certainly looked problematic. He only hoped Mark recovered quick enough to cover for him.

“I’m okay, Glass. Izuku is right; I simply ate too quickly. You guys have to try it to know what I’m talking about.” Mark spoke, rubbing his forehead as the pain subsided. Ringue lowered his bow, the archer and Izuku both breathing a sigh of relief.

“I see… Well, rookie, considering the fuss you just put us through; let’s see what you made.” Glass sheathed his blade and sat at the table with Ringue, still a little tense from the ordeal. Izuku shook the leather bag he made the ice cream in, satisfied that there was enough to serve both Glass and Ringue. Portioning it out, he gave the bowls to his two companions and waited for them to try it.

“Mhm!” They exclaimed as they had their first bite, eyes wide in surprise.

“Rookie, I thought you were trying to become a hero, not a top-class sage! This stuff is nothing less than magic!” Glass laughed, digging into his ice cream; he took care to pace himself to prevent the same predicament Mark had just endured. Ringue almost wept from joy.

“What’s the name for this stuff, Izuku? I’ve never seen anything like it before.” Ringue asked, his spoon resting in his mouth as he savoured the last bit of ice cream. He hadn’t cared to slow down, though it seemed that he had a higher resistance to brain freezes brought on by the cold treat. 

“I call it ‘ice cream’, since it’s supposed to be made with ice and cream.” Izuku answered plainly, his words followed by Mark nodding sagely; as if the explanation was delivered by a world-renowned scholar.

“Ice? How did you get your hands on that? It’s incredibly expensive for mercenaries like us.” Glass noted, confirming his speculations on the availability of ice. 

“I didn’t use ice. An old woman selling cream told me that using a bit of a vulnerary works the same way without any side effects.” Izuku explained, shaking the vulnerary he had bought with Mark and used to make the ice cream. He had only used a third to make the current batch.

“Interesting. Well, thanks for the treat. Don’t forget, we leave at sunrise. Our target is a day's march away, but it’s no excuse to be slow.” Glass nodded as he stood, giving Mark and Izuku a small reminder. Considering their habits so far on their journey; it was more than warranted. Izuku suddenly remembered something as he moved to stop Glass from leaving.

“Ah, one last thing Glass! I know it's rude to offer something that’s already been used, but I wanted to give you a gift as thanks for helping me learn how to use a sword.” He bowed, holding out his used vulnerary to the swordsman.

“Actually, I have a better idea. I’ll take this and you can give Glass my new vulnerary. Since I’m in the back, I don’t think I’ll be using it much anyway.” Mark suggested, taking Izuku’s vulnerary and switching it with his own.

“Heh, thanks rookie. I’ll make good use of it.” Glass accepted the vulnerary with a small smile.

“And nothing for me? You’re so cruel, Izuku.” Ringue teased, breaking the moment. Izuku frowned and thought of something to give the archer.

“How about more ice cream? I can make you more on our way.”

“Ah, Izuku! I knew you were a great guy!” Ringue comically switched gears, reminding Izuku of the banter that Aizawa-sensei had with Present Mic.

“Have a good night you too. I’ll see you in the morning.” Glass said as he left with Ringue. As the door closed behind them, Mark turned to Izuku.

“You’re making more for me too, right?” The tactician asked, worried that the delicious treat might never grace his lips again.

“I thought that was a given. I will need a vulnerary to make it, seeing as I gave mine away.” Izuku responded, surprised when Mark shoved his hand at Izuku’s chest.

“If that’s all you need, I’ll gladly buy you more!” Mark exclaimed as Izuku caught the vulnerary that was thrust at him. “We can check if that merchant is selling tomorrow morning before we leave. We should rest now if we want to get there early.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you in the morning, Mark.” Izuku agreed as he stifled a yawn. Going to bed now certainly seemed appealing.

====

The next day came and went by quickly. Thankfully for Mark, the same merchant was selling vulneraries before they left. Not much was different from before; other than the party size. Mac, Aron and Bub expanded their group from six to nine. Izuku got to know each of the new members at dinner. All three were from Bern, like Bank. Mac and Aron were orphans from a village close to Bub, joining up with Glass thanks to Bank. The thief was second-in-command for a reason, apart from his cooking that put him a step up from the others.

Bub and Bank were childhood friends, the duo forming the classic brain and brawn combo. Mac liked wearing green while Aron preferred red. Bub had a talent at wood carving. The brothers got their scars from trying to cover for each other during an escort mission in Bern. They were small inconsequential details, but they were nice to know about people’s small quirks. Izuku spent his entire childhood analysing and noting pro hero quirks; an appreciation for that kind of thing came naturally to him, even if they weren’t superpowers.

“Oi, rookie. Could you make any more of that ice cream for the rest of the guys? It would be good for morale.” Glass asked by the campfire.

“Yeah, good idea!” Mark agreed, elbowing Izuku in the side. The other members thought Mark was agreeing on a simply logical standpoint; unaware of the tactician’s newfound love for the cold treat.

Needless to say, they loved it. Even Porc, who had a disdain for sweets, appreciated the cooling snack. Bank immediately asked for the recipe and tried it himself, adding an ingredient of his own. Izuku was mildly surprised to taste blackcurrant in Bank’s ice cream.

“You added blackcurrant?” Izuku asked, examining a spoonful of the purple ice cream in the warm glow of the campfire.

“I’d usually use it as a paste for mutton, but since it's the only fruit I have on hand, I thought I’d give it a shot.” Bank replied, trying to discern if he himself preferred vanilla or blackcurrant.

“Well, if you’re done with that rookie; you have a bunch of new opponents to train with. Best get more experience before the mission begins.” Glass placed his bowl down and stood up; Mac, Aron and Bub following suit.

“So what are we doing, Glass?” Izuku asked as he watched them pull out their weapons.

“You learned basic forms with me. You dealt with speed with Porc. These guys will teach you how to deal with strength and axes; the weapon type swords have an advantage against.” Glass explained. “Getting some practice with a lance would be good, but none of us use one.”

“It won’t be an issue if I keep sticking with you right?” Izuku replied, drawing his own blade in preparation.

“Haha! That’s right!” Glass laughed as he smacked Izuku on the back. “But enough funny business. You’ll face Bub first to get used to the fighting style, and Mac and Aron here will run you through the gauntlet. Let’s begin.”

“Let’s have a good match.” Bub said before he started with a big overhand chop.

“Likewise!” With such a clearly telegraphed attack, Izuku easily dodged back, using his back foot to leap forward with a thrust of his sword.

In a surprising turn of events, Bub pivoted forward, dodging Izuku’s thrust by a hair before he swung his axe around at Izuku’s back; stopping it short of tearing into the hero-in-training.

“How did you do that?” Izuku said as he stepped away from Bub, releasing the breath he didn’t know he was holding in. He sheathed his sword; not wanting to swing it around and hit someone by accident.

“It’s very simple with thrusts, which is why axes typically have the advantage against lances. You step into the attack and let it go through where you aren’t. It’s how us axe fighters compensate for those big swings.” Bub explained, Izuku now realizing that most large-bodied combatants fought that way. If he ever had the chance, he’d ask Shoji if the tentacled student used the same method.

“I see. I’m ready to try again!” Izuku unsheathed his blade, taking a long breath before rushing at Bub again, aiming to attack the axe fighter with a wide slash.

Bub moved to block the attack with the shaft of his axe before Izuku executed a spin; switching the angle of his attack to his Bub’s open side. Like Bub did before, he stopped the attack short.

“I got to say rookie, you’re picking this up a lot quicker than we did.” Glass smirked as Bub simply conceded his loss, returning to a starting position.

“It’s because I have good teachers!” Izuku replied cheekily as he prepared to face Bub again.

“Yeah yeah, get back to training rookie.” Glass waved off as Izuku and Bub charged at each other again; drawing snickers from Mac and Aron as the swordsman turned to hide a slight blush from his student.

Bub and Izuku continued to trade victories back and forth; the axe fighter beginning to struggle in the fight against the bad matchup. At the end of their fifteenth bout, Bub tapped out with Mac and Aron.

“Alright Izuku, your goal with these guys is to last for as long as you can. You won’t be able to go for a ‘finisher’ as with the other around.” Glass instructed, passing waterskins to Bub and Izuku before the latter began the gauntlet.

“I see. I’ll do my best!” Izuku nodded as he gave back the empty waterskin, wiping his mouth with his sleeve before drawing his blade; waving it between the brothers.

“Don’t worry rookie. We’ll go easy on you after your rounds with Bub.” The brothers spoke, even their very breaths in sync with each other.

“Thanks Mac, Aron. Let’s go!” Izuku nodded before leaping at the younger Aron, trying to take the initiative. As expected, Mac leapt in front of his brother; meeting Izuku’s blade with his axe. Izuku was caught off-guard when the blunt top of Aron’s iron axe jabbed him in the gut through the small gap between Mac’s arm and torso. With Aron’s strike pushing him back, Mac easily leveled an overhead swing at Izuku, stopping it short and ending the match.

“Rookie, I appreciate the gusto, but I wasn’t joking when I said you won’t be able to go for a finisher.” Glass huffed as he watched the student fall back on his rear.

“I get that now. Let’s try that again.” Izuku nodded as he was helped up by Mac. As soon as he hopped back, the brothers were upon him, Aron leaping over Mac and bringing his axe down on Izuku. The young swordsman dodged to the side, ducking with Aron as Mac struck out with a horizontal slash.

Izuku was amazed at their synergy, not even needing words to cover each other’s openings. The only people he could think of that operated on a similar wavelength were the Pussycats, but they had the caveat of Telepath and Search. 

Aron took advantage of Izuku’s thoughts and swiped at him with the back of his axe. The student skirted back, getting back on his feet just in time to dodge Mac’s leaping strike before it could lose him the match.

“Rookie, try blocking their jumping attacks at a diagonal!” Glass shouted as Aron leapt over Mac, giving Izuku the opportunity to test his new technique.

Holding his blade above him, Aron’s axe slid off Izuku’s blade, giving the student an opening to land a hit on the younger brother. Before Izuku could capitalize on it, Mac pulled his brother back and thrust his axe forward, pushing Izuku back once more. They rushed back and forth at each other for another 10 minutes, ending with staring each other down, waiting for the other to make the next move.

At a standstill, Izuku and the brothers allowed each other to recover, with the green-haired student clearly in a worse condition; his ragged breaths overpowering the ambient sounds of the plains.

“Alright! That’s enough for tonight. I still need you to wake up on time tomorrow morning for the mission rookie. You two buffoons, as well.” Glass clapped, signalling the end of the match. Bub quickly went over to Izuku, passing the young man another waterskin before he fell over from exhaustion.

“Thanks Bub. How did I do?” Izuku asked between gulps, a bit of color returning to his paled cheeks.

“I think you did well. Glass has a better idea of how long you went with Mac and Aron, but you definitely did better than I could. You have a crazy amount of stamina for your build Izuku; I’m surprised.” Bub smiled, patting the tired student on the back.

“I’ll ask him tomorrow, but I noticed something. Mac and Aron were a lot more prone to leaping attacks, but you typically used a grounded overhand swing. Do you guys just use different styles?” Izuku nodded, surprising Bub again with his adept analysis skills.

“Ah, that’s because my class is axe fighter while theirs is brigand.” Bub answered, Izuku remembering the class manual he and Mark went through the first day they met. They never did go over the axe fighter class line at that time. He’d simply look through before he went to bed.

“Thanks, Bub. See you tomorrow.” Izuku bowed his head a bit before he began walking back to his tent to rest. He would have loved a shower, but even the nearest river was a day’s journey away. He just hoped Mark wouldn’t mind the smell.

“Yeah, have a good night, Izuku.” The axe fighter waved as he took on the responsibility of cleaning up their training area. Mac and Aron already left to rest in their shared tent and Glass had gone to take the first night watch with Porc. In his busyness, Bub failed to notice the foreign torchlight against the orange of the sunset.

====

“Wake up, Izuku! Wake up!” The boy in question heard as he was violently shaken awake by Mark. Still tired from his evening training session, the hero-in-training blinked as he tried to get a sense of his surroundings. The tactician was a mess; his bag hanging precariously off his side. One of his arms was relaxed at his side with the robes around it blackened.

“We need to go!” Mark screamed, snapping Izuku awake instantly. Something was very, very wrong. The smell of smoke was in the air.

“What’s going on?” Izuku asked before the question answered itself in front of his eyes. The tent was in flames, the black billowing smoke gathering at the top of the tent and threatening to suffocate the both of them.

“Where’s Glass?!” Izuku yelled, scrambling to grab his bag, shoes and sword. There’s no way this was a simple bushfire. Bank put out the campfire before everyone had retired for the night. If someone had caused the fire… well, Izuku hoped he wouldn’t need to put his sword skills to work.

“He was supposed to be on patrol with Porc! As you can see, I haven’t been able to leave!” Mark shouted back over the roar of the flames, his tactical calm wiped away by his panic. As if on cue, a scream from outside the tent put an end to their arguing.

“I’m getting us out of here!” Izuku said as he drew his blade. He would probably get burned, but it was better than burning to death. Braving the flames, Izuku cut a human-sized slit in the back of the tent, going through first to clear the way for his unarmed friend. 

What greeted him was the closest thing to hell that he’d ever seen. The flames razed the dry grass of the plains, blocking vision of anything outside the camp. 

That didn’t even include the camp itself. It looked like ground zero of a firestorm. Everyone’s tents were ablaze as the shadows of figures he couldn’t make out in the haze clashed against each other for their lives. 

A figure barreled through the flames and raised their axe to attack before they fell over onto their front, their heart pierced by a single arrow from behind.

“Izuku! Mark! Are you alright?” Ringue called as he pulled the arrow from the figure’s back, putting it back in his nearly empty quiver. “These bastards came out of nowhere. Glass and Porc are missing, and the rest of us got split up.” 

“Ringue! You’re alive!” The two gripped him in a hug, relieved that they aren’t completely on their own.

“Yeah, I’m alive.” Ringue sighed as he patted them on the back. He was the eldest of them at the moment, even if it only was by a couple years. He would have to lead them through this.

“The tactician escaped his tent! Find him!” An unfamiliar gruff voice shouted over the flames, Ringue quickly drawing an arrow and firing in the direction of the voice; rewarded by the gurgle of a clean shot.

“We need to go now. We can regroup with the rest later.” Ringue commanded, his laidback exterior shed for an unwavering gaze and ardent resolution. Izuku and Mark could only nod as Ringue led them out of the flames, ducking into the remaining tall grass as a trio of bandits walked by; trying to find the now-dead comrade who had called out to them.

“Tch, that oaf probably got lost in the tall grass.” One of them spoke, the others nodding as they began to retreat, heading deeper into the camp.

“At least we got those brigands. I bet they’re brothers. They’d sell well as slaves.” Another laughed, Ringue’s gaze turning murderous as he silently stood in the brush, an arrow aimed at the bandit’s neck before Izuku hastily pulled him down.

“Tch, sorry. We have bigger things to worry about.” The archer spoke in a forced whisper as they left without alerting the bandits.

“We’ve almost made it out. We need to get back to Bulgar. The others should know to regroup there.” Ringue whispered as they reached the edge of the clearing. The trio failed to miss the bandit creeping closer behind them; his approach hidden by the sound of crackling flames and the darkness in the tall grass.

By the time Ringue turned to see the enemy, it was too late for him to respond with his bow. Just as the bandit’s axe was about to descend on Izuku, Ringue shoved the green-haired student aside, dropping his bow and pulling an arrow from his quiver. 

Taking the bandit by surprise, Ringue covered the bandit’s mouth with his left hand, the arrow in his right hand finding its mark under the bandit’s jaw. As the bandit slumped over, Ringue tried to catch the bandit to quiet their fall, but found he couldn’t move his left arm. His adrenaline surged when he looked down and saw the axe embedded in the left side of his chest. He’d never be able to use his bow again.

Pushing career-ending thoughts aside, he thought instead of Izuku and Mark behind him. He still had to get them out of here safely. They couldn’t see the extent of his wounds looking at his back in the hazy red darkness. They would only panic if they did, so Ringue grit his teeth and slid the axe out of his chest, adjusting his tunic to hide the wound while putting pressure on it to prevent blood loss.

“Are you okay?” Izuku could only sputter in shock on the ground. Ringue had saved him again, he noted in the back of his mind as Mark helped him to his feet.

“Yeah. Let’s move. We’re almost out of here.” Ringue grunted, his hand on his shoulder as he took his place in front of the group again.

“What about your bow?” Mark asked, his fear-addled mind not registering the difference in Ringue’s movements.

“I can get a new one later, we have to go now!” Ringue commanded in a loud whisper. 

The group kept going for a good while until they all collapsed behind a hill; completely exhausted but thankfully, very far from the camp and the fires. Izuku looked to Ringue as he recovered his breath, noting the difference in the archer’s far more laboured breathing.

“Ringue, you’re really pale. Are you alright?” Izuku asked once more, the archer slowly shaking his head with a somber look.

“I’m going to tell you the truth guys. I don’t think I have a lot of time left.” Ringue grunted as he took his arm away from his shoulder, the tunic seeped with enough red that it was clear to Mark and Izuku what had happened when Ringue pushed the green-haired boy aside, even in the darkness.

“Take my coin purse and get yourselves an escort in Bulgar to the tactician academy.” Ringue said as he took a small bag and held it out to Izuku.

“I… I can’t take this, Ringue. Ah, I know! We could use it to get help! I’ll run the rest of the way to Bulgar and-” Izuku stuttered, tears welling up in his eyes as he moved to stand before he was stopped by Ringue.

“Don’t be foolish, Izuku. I won’t make it in time. Just do me a favour and take it. You guys need to live on. For me.” Ringue pleaded, grounding Izuku where he was. With a shallow nod, Izuku took the coin purse, gripping Ringue’s hand instead. There was a distinct difference in temperature as he did.

“I will… Thank you Ringue, for saving me. For saving us.” Izuku choked out, unable to stop the stream running down his face. Mark sat at their side, his grief evident in the tears he shed.

“Be strong… You two have so much potential… Izuku… You can become a hero… I know it.” Ringue affirmed with the last of his strength before he closed his eyes, his hand limp in Izuku’s. His final expression was a smile.

Mark and Izuku silently wept until they passed out, hurt, but alive thanks to their friend’s sacrifice.

====

“Where’s the tactician?!” Priest Maka shouted to the remaining bandits at the burned down campsite. He removed the hardest opponents for these numbskull bandits and they still failed at the most important task! 

“There’s two groups that managed to escape. They went in opposite directions. One of them left behind this bow and three dead bodies.” A bandit reported, holding up Ringue’s bow for the priest to examine.

“It must be the group with the tactician. I don’t give a damn about the other group.” The priest spat, looking around at the group in front of him before zeroing in on one bandit in particular.

“Take a group with you and find them,  _ Batta the Beast _ .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A million thanks to my friend GoldenWitch for beta-ing the chapter. Check out her FE3H fanfic Ghosts of the Body https://archiveofourown.org/works/20589941/chapters/48882833.
> 
> I'd like to thank ShadowyMyths and boomboiz for giving my fanfic kudos. It means a lot to me. Look forward to the next chapter!


	3. A Girl from the Plains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku and Mark may have lost much, but they live. What happens to them now, after they’ve lost the allies they’ve made on their trip and almost all their belongings? Hope seems lost, until a green-haired girl carrying the pride of the Lorca on her shoulders finds them unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that we’re touching upon FE7 canon, it’s important to note that FE7 in its entirety belongs to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. I will be using much of the dialogue that was in the original game because frankly, I wouldn’t trade Sain’s dialogue for the world. Some scenarios will be cycled around due to tutorial shenanigans in the original game that won’t work as well in the context of the fic.

Izuku felt all types of sore as his consciousness returned to him. Recalling his most recent memories, he jolted awake; trying to rise but finding it mildly difficult to do so. 

His body was wrapped from head to toe in bandages covering his wounds. He shared a simple bed with Mark, who was similarly bandaged. The tactician was still unconscious but it seemed that he had recovered.

“Are you awake?” A female voice rang out from beyond Izuku. He turned to see a beautiful girl holding a wooden bowl of soup. 

“Yaoyorozu?” The similarities were uncanny. Apart from the girl’s green hair, her height, hairstyle, and sizable assets were on par with Class 1-A’s vice president. The sight of a similar face deluded Izuku into thinking it was someone he knew.

“So much has happened. Glass, Bank, Porc. Ringue… It’s so good to see you again. Is everyone else alright?” The boy began to vent; tears welling up in his eyes.

“Excuse me? I think you have the wrong person.” The girl frowned, moving closer to the bed with soup in hand. Izuku tilted his head in confusion. The girl could tell from his glazed over eyes that the boy was not entirely there. She had gone through the same thing herself not so long ago.

“I found you and your friend unconscious on the plains.” She explained, setting the bowl aside with a somber look. “Your archer friend… I’m sorry. By the time I found you, it was too late to do anything for him. I gave him a proper burial.”

“Huh? Ah, I see… Thank you. I apologize for my behaviour. How long has it been since you found us?” Izuku nodded, wiping his tears with his sleeve as he was brought back to reality. A slight red dusted his cheeks, but the girl paid it no thought.

“It’s been two days since I found you collapsed behind a hill. Can you eat? This is a soup made of some vegetables.” She explained as Mark roused from his slumber.

“Where… am I? Izuku?” Mark mumbled as he propped himself up on his elbows. His eyes wandering, he quickly focused on the girl at the bedside.

“Do you know her Izuku?” He asked apprehensively. Izuku then noticed the color of her hair, it being remarkably similar to his own. He had yet to tell Mark of his true origins, so the tactician could only come to this sort of conclusion.

“No, she is the one who rescued us. She also gave Ringue a proper burial.” Izuku explained, pausing in slight embarrassment at the fact that he didn’t even know her name to address her with. Luckily, she picked up on it and took the initiative.

“I suppose I should introduce myself first. I am Lyn, of the Lorca Tribe. I believe you are ‘Izuku’. And you? What is your name?” She said with a hint of pride. Unfortunately, neither Mark nor Izuku knew the significance of her tribe’s name.

“I am Mark. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lyn. You have our gratitude for saving our lives.” He replied, doing his best to bow from his position.

“What an odd-sounding name…” Lyn absentmindedly wondered, realizing what she said out loud before she corrected herself. “Ah, pay me no mind. You have good names. What brought you to the Sacaen plains? Would you share your story with me?”

A crash and a neigh of a horse sounded outside the tent, piquing Lyn’s attention. “Hm? What was that noise?”

“...lease...don...ow...anyth…!”

“I’ll go see what’s happening. Wait here for me.” She said as she walked to the entrance, picking up a sword that was by it before leaving. Moments later, she rushed back in.

“It’s bandits! They just razed the ger on the other side of the plain! They must have come down from the Bern mountains! They are headed this way. I think I’ll be able to handle them on my own. You’ll be safe in here.” Lyn reported, tightening her grip on her sheathed blade. She hoped that her words held weight.

“Wait, I want to help.” Mark and Izuku said in unison; surprising each other and Lyn. Izuku wouldn't allow himself to stay back while someone else protected him again. 

“What? Are you able to fight in that state? Mark, do you even have a weapon?” Lyn questioned. Izuku, she could understand, seeing as the green-haired boy had a sword among his belongings. Mark’s things didn’t even contain a magical tome.

“I am a tactician. I can optimize our advantage.” Mark replied, a determined gleam set in his eyes. The tactician was burning in shame. He should have been able to take control of the situation at the camp. He would not be so powerless again.

“I see… So you’re a strategist by trade? An odd profession, but… Very well. We’ll go together!” Lyn nodded, taking a step outside to give the boys some privacy to prepare.

“I suppose we’ll sort things out after we deal with the bandits?” Mark suggested, carefully fastening his satchel to his side before throwing his singed robes over himself. Most of his things were lost in the flames, but he still managed to keep his maps, tactician pieces, two vulneraries that he had bought the morning before they left Bulgar and some other medical supplies that he kept on hand in case of emergencies. Luckily, his scarf seemed to escape any damage.

“That sounds like a plan.” Izuku nodded, putting his vest and haversack on and fastening his blade to his waist. He didn’t lose any of his belongings to the flames; all of it being kept in his haversack. He patted his pocket carefully. He would use the Ringue’s parting gift wisely. He quickly got used to the feeling of soreness. Todoroki’s burns from the Sports Festival were much more intense in comparison. Prepared for a fight; they left the room to be greeted by the afternoon sun and the flowing green grass of the plains.

“Over here! With your wounds, you should let me take on the majority of the bandits. You two should stay together while I charge ahead.” Lyn said as she waved them over, keeping an eye on three bandits, one by a tent-like structure on the other side of the plain while the others made their way to Lyn’s tent.

“We’ll be right behind you, Lyn. They’re a good distance away, so we’ll bait the first with Izuku. When I give the command, pincer the closest one and move to the next. The third seems to be preoccupied.” Mark commanded as Lyn ducked and moved through the brush with a grace and speed that rivaled Porc’s.

Knowing his role, Izuku moved up with Mark and got the bandit’s attention.

“There he is! Grab the one in the back!” One of the bandits yelled, rallying his comrade to charge at the duo.

“They look like brigands. Glass taught you how to deal with them, right?” Mark tensed, taking a step back as Izuku drew his blade and stepped forward.

“He did, and I will use his techniques well.” Holding his blade defensively, he prepared to parry as the bandit leapt up and aimed his axe at Izuku’s head.

“Lyn, now!” Mark commanded as Izuku cleanly deflected the bandit’s attack; the swordswoman leaping out of the brush and slashing the bandit’s head off. Izuku froze for a moment before Mark pulled him back, the bandit’s body falling where Izuku was moments ago.

“I know you have a problem with killing, but you cannot freeze! Didn’t Porc warn you about that?” The tactician reprimanded as Lyn faced off against the second bandit on her own.

“It’s a lot harder when it comes to the actual thing!” Izuku argued, the bandit’s corpse and gore thankfully hidden by the long grass. The gurgle of the second felled bandit brought their arguing to a halt. Lyn stood over the bandit with a hand over her sword arm and a small cut on the outside of her thigh.

“Lyn, are you okay?” Mark asked, quickly spotting the cut on her leg and frowning. Thankfully, the wound was small and very treatable, the tactician thought as he took a vulnerary and some bandages from his bag. “May I treat you behind that hill over there? It’ll be easier to defend if that third brigand comes after us.”

“If you’re offering your assistance, it seems like the best course of action. That bandit seems to be occupied with whatever he found in that ger.” Lyn agreed as the group moved to hide behind said hill. Taking her hand off her arm, Mark was relieved to see that it was barely a scratch.

“Izuku, please turn around and stay on guard.” Mark directed, the boy climbing up the hill and keeping an eye on the bandit. The tactician noted that Izuku’s hair blended in and hid the boy quite well among the grass. He would use that in the future. “You mentioned ger earlier, Lyn. What exactly were you talking about?”

“I suppose you wouldn’t know as a traveler. It’s a type of round hut. Many nomadic Sacaens live in huts like these. I thought Izuku would know.” Lyn explained as Mark rubbed some of the vulnerary on her arm before he wrapped it with a bandage. She would have been able to do this on her own, but she had no reason to decline the help.

As Mark tied the bandage, he took a look at the cut on her thigh, and a bit of a glance at Lyn’s dress. Ornately designed, the conflict of interest was how… high-cut the sides were. Her waist had no sign of an undergarment. Was she not wearing anything under the dress? The tactician cleared his mind of impure thoughts and went to work, rubbing some vulnerary solution onto her-woah. It was softer than any pillow the tactician had ever felt. Mark forced himself to move at the same pace he did with her arm, not allowing himself to become distracted by who might have been the most attractive girl he’d ever met. He’d leave those thoughts for when he was alone.

“Done. Sorry it took so long. Let’s take out that last bandit!” Mark announced, wiping the sweat off his brow. It was times like those he wished that clerics could have been male as well. Healing with a staff would do well to avoid those kinds of situations. Not that the tactician particularly minded though. That feeling would not be forgotten anytime soon.

“You’re quite a capable medic. Thank you, Mark!” Lyn quickly drew her blade and tried a few attacks, slicing the grass in front of her with ease. The bandages didn’t slow her down in the least. “Let’s go get that bandit by the ger!”

“I’ll run up the middle right at him. It seems like I am the target. Engage him from his flanks on my signal.” Mark commanded, Izuku and Lyn nodding as they ran alongside him.

“You! You think you can stand up to Batta the Beast? That priest wanted you alive, but he didn’t mention anything about the others! I’ll go for that other boy first! The girl would make a good slave! Now die!” The blond bandit roared as he left the ger; pointing at Mark with his axe before pointing to Izuku and Lyn. Spinning his axe in his hand, he leapt at Izuku with ferocity the boy had only faced before in Muscular.

“Izuku, don’t freeze!” Mark commanded as the boy drew his blade, barely parrying the bandit’s blow. Before Izuku could counter, the bandit delivered a nasty uppercut to Izuku’s gut, causing Izuku to drop his sword as he flew back a few feet; landing on his back.

“Not so fast!” Lyn yelled as she leapt at Batta’s back with her blade drawn, the bandit turning to catch it with his axe before it could draw blood.

“Wait your damn turn!” Batta yelled as he clashed with Lyn, the swordswoman skillfully deflecting the bandit’s reckless attacks. With her superior swordsmanship, Batta couldn’t go for a low blow like he did with Izuku, but Lyn could not continue to weather through his attacks forever.

Batta paused and turned in surprise to see Izuku with his sword stabbed into Batta’s back. Izuku had fought Muscular after all. Batta was strong, but not on the level of the muscle-augmenting villain.

Lyn capitalized on the opportunity and slashed at Batta; the blow sinking halfway through his arm before it was stopped by his arm guard and bone. With a roar, Batta dislodged the blades piercing him and threw Izuku and Lyn back, his axe tearing the side of Lyn’s dress. “NO MORE GAMES! NOW YOU ALL DIE!”

“Izuku, I can take him out if you buy me some time. It all comes down to the next blow. Please escape if I fail. He’s tougher than I expected.” Lyn asked as she sheathed her blade and took a deep breath, her hand on the hilt to prepare for her final attack. Izuku nodded and stepped up to face Batta.

While not as skilled as Lyn, Izuku managed to match the blond bandit thanks to the wounds the brigand had accumulated. It wasn’t perfect, though. The boy’s arms went numb from the force of each of Batta’s attacks.

“Izuku, now!” Mark commanded, the green-haired boy parrying Batta’s attack and leaping back, leaving him open as Lyn drew her blade and dashed forward. Izuku was amazed to see the swordswoman split into three afterimages, each landing a fatal slash before the afterimages merged back into one as Lyn returned to her starting position. Blood spurted from Batta’s wounds as Lyn sheathed her blade, the bandit falling to his knees.

“What? How… How did you-” He mumbled in shock as he collapsed from his wounds.

“Whew… That was close. Thanks for holding out, Izuku.” Lyn breathed a sigh of relief, the collective group recovering their breath after the battle.

“We should check on the ger. Hopefully, we’re not too late.” Mark suggested, Izuku and Lyn nodding and entering the ger.

“There’s no one here. They must have escaped.” Lyn said, surveying the ger. The family had left most of their things, taking only their horses and valuables.

“Seems so. Despite the noise, there’s no blood or sign of a fight.” Mark agreed, noting some bedrolls that the previous owners left behind. “Do you think we can take these?”

“Hmm… I don’t see why not. It would go to waste otherwise.” Lyn thought for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. Mark nodded and took a roll with Izuku.

“Let’s go home. I’m sure you’re tired after so much action.” Lyn said with a small smile. 

“Yeah, let’s go.” Mark agreed as they followed Lyn back to their ger. The group ate a bit of soup before retiring for the night; the fight taking more out of them then expected. The night passed peacefully, much to the group’s relief.

====

“Good morning guys! Are you awake yet?” Lyn cheerily asked, frowning when she was met by the half-conscious groans of Mark and Izuku on the floor. “That fight yesterday must have taken a lot out of you.”

“Yeah, it sure did.” Izuku yawned and stretched. He was still a little drowsy, but he was awake. Lyn passed him a bowl of soup which he ate heartily.

“I’m just not a morning person.” Mark commented as he got up and adjusted his clothes. He had used his bag wrapped in his scarf as a pillow and got to fastening the bag to his waist again. Lyn passed him a bowl as well, which he drank in one gulp.

“Say, Mark… I want to talk to you about something.” Lyn asked with a small blush as she sat with them on the floor. The tactician instantly perked up, wondering if it had something to do with yesterday.

“You have some experience in the ways of war; far more than I have skill with a blade. I would like to travel with you and learn your skills.” She asked, surprising both Mark and Izuku. 

“Funny, I was going to ask you to accompany us to Bern to my academy.” Mark joked, gesturing to Izuku. “But what about your parents? To whisk a girl like you away under their noses is a bit…” 

“What? You… want me to get permission from my parents?” The girl paused, contemplating some internal thoughts before she spoke again.

“My mother and father… died six months ago. My people, the Lorca, they don’t… I’m the last of my tribe. Bandits attacked, and… they killed so many people.” She began, pausing as she remembered that night. Tears began to roll down her cheeks in her reminiscence. “The tribe was shattered. My father was our chieftain, and I tried to protect our people. But I was too young, and our people were old-fashioned. They wouldn’t follow a woman. They left to join other tribes…”

Izuku began to panic as Mark took a handkerchief from his bag offering it to the girl, who accepted it gratefully.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been alone for so long… No. No more. I will shed no more tears…” She sniffled as she wiped her tears. Mark and Izuku looked on with compassion, each placing a hand on her shoulder. 

“Thank you. I’m better now. Mark, I want- I must become stronger, so that I may avenge my father’s death! Yesterday’s battle taught me something; I won’t become stronger by sitting her alone. Mark, please train me, please let me travel with you!”

“Of course. Welcome to the team, Lyn.” Mark responded with a wide smile.

“You will? That’s wonderful! Thank you! Oh, thank you!” Lyn exclaimed as she tackled the tactician in a wholesome hug. “We’ll be better off working together, I know it! You’ll be my master strategist, and I’ll be your peerless warrior! We can do it! Right?”

“Don’t forget our valiant hero-to-be! Get in here Izuku!” The tactician added as he pulled the green-haired boy in for a group hug.

It was nice. Even if the three of them were alone, they were alone together.

====

The three set out for Bulgar immediately. Lyn mentioned that the city was about two days away, giving the group lots of time to get to know each other.

“How do you not know about these things? They are Sacaen essentials!” Lyn asked, exasperated. She had spent the day’s journey teaching Izuku about Sacaen traditions and customs, still under the assumption that the boy was from the plains.

“Haha… I guess I just… missed it?” Izuku tried to deflect, drawing Mark’s attention as well. The tactician simply assumed the boy was Sacaen, but things just didn’t add up.

“Really, Izuku. Where are you from? It’s clear that you aren’t from around here.” The tactician prodded, Lyn looking on in interest.

“It’s almost sundown. How about I explain after we make camp? It’s a long story.” Izuku nervously answered as he scratched his cheek.

“Sure, I suppose it's as good a place as any to rest for the night. Lyn, how far are we from Bulgar?” Mark nodded, turning to the Sacaen girl who halted their horse. The group only had one horse, Lyn deciding to walk on foot with them so she could have an easier time conversing with them.

“Hmm… We should arrive in the city tomorrow afternoon. Here would be a good place to rest.” Lyn looked at the sky for a moment. Izuku followed her gaze and stared in awe at the clarity of the stars. He came to the realization that without the lights of the city, the brighter stars in the sky could be seen even before the sun went down.

“Father Sky leads us to where we need to go…” Lyn commented with a smile. She remembered when her father had shown her the same thing when she was young. She was as awestruck as Izuku then. 

“Come on Izuku. I’ll teach you how to set up a ger. After you tell us your story, I’ll share my father’s stories of the stars.” She tapped his shoulder, bringing him out of her reverie. Her offer seemed to pique his interest.

“Let me help, too. I don’t have much better to do.” Mark offered, unable to hide the smile on his face. It would speed up the process of getting to know Izuku too, the tactician thought in the back of his mind.

“Good, let’s get to work!” Lyn accepted as they started unloading their things from the horse and began to set up camp.

====

After a light supper, the group rested comfortably around a campfire, enjoying the view of the night sky. The ger was set up, but with such a marvelous view, it was idiotic to stay inside.

“So Izuku, tell us. Where do you come from?” Mark asked, comfortably bundled in his scarf. Used to the temperature drop at night on the plains, Lyn simply scooted closer to the campfire as she waited on Izuku to begin.

“Um… So as you guessed, I’m not from Elibe, actually. I was transported here by Bramimond, the Enigma.” Izuku began, taking a pause to let the mention of one of the Eight Legends sink in.

“Izuku, surely you jest.” Mark interjected, disbelief evident in his wide-eyed expression.

“I’m not. He sent me here to prevent some calamity. He said my dream of being a hero will save lives.” Izuku explained, his expression somber. He paused, reminiscing about the scant few days he had already been in Elibe. “I… I’ve yet to live up to that dream, but I will persevere so I can save this world and return to my own.”

“As odd as that is, it does add up. Your appearance in my tent without anyone noticing, the lack of knowledge of Elibe, the Eight Legends and how the class system works. Even your diligence to train and learn how to fight makes sense in that context.” Mark shrugged, rubbing his temples as he struggled to comprehend the wave of new information.

“So where  _ are _ you from, Izuku?” Lyn asked, not as flabbergasted as Mark at what Izuku revealed.

“So there’s a country called Japan…” 

The three hadn’t even noticed the campfire go out, so engrossed in sharing their stories with each other under the starry night sky. Another peaceful night passed.

====

Izuku awoke inside the ger, yawning as he sat up and saw the morning light peek through the entrance. Looking around, he spied Mark, still sound asleep in his bedroll. Silently, the boy got up, grabbing his blade and bag before going outside. After a couple stretches to loosen himself up, his eye caught Lyn sitting on a nearby hill, admiring the sunrise. He went and sat beside her, in simple silence as the sun rose above the horizon.

“I wonder if the sunrise is the same in Japan.” She said, the wind blowing through her hair and the long grass. Caught off-guard by how pretty she looked, Izuku sputtered as his thoughts were thrown into disarray.

“I… I think it’s prettier here.” He responded with a blush. 

“Is that so? Good.” Lyn smiled at his answer, unaware of the effect she was having on the young boy. She stood and stretched, loosening her shoulders and unknowingly pushing her ample chest forward. Izuku hurriedly turned away, his hormone-addled thoughts racing as his cheeks turned a darker shade of red.

“You use a sword as well. Would you like to spar with me, Izuku?” She asked, prompting the boy to turn around and see her outstretched hand. He gladly took it and stood.

“I’d love to. I’ve never seen anything like the technique you used against that bandit.” Izuku nodded in admiration, dropping his bag to the side.

“Not even in your world? It was something my father taught me, when I first learnt to wield a blade.” She recalled nostalgically, taking a distance away from Izuku and placing her hand on the hilt of her blade. Izuku noticed that her hold on her blade was a little stilted, the large crossguard resting on her thigh uncomfortably. It wasn’t something he had an issue with, since he simply fought with his blade drawn.

“There may have been something similar, but the advent of quirks sort of forced martial arts and the like into obscurity.” Izuku admitted. There was a sword style that had a similar stance, but being that no current hero used it, Izuku had no knowledge of it other than the name, iaido.

“Considering how your world lacks the magic trinity, I could see why the ability to create natural elements from one’s body would overtake mastery of other skills. Now, shall we begin?” Lyn nodded in understanding, exhaling a long breath before steeling her eyes. Izuku drew his blade proper in preparation.

“Yes, let’s!” Izuku agreed as he rushed forward. He knew she was faster than him; all the more reason for the young boy to take the initiative against his opponent.

To the boy’s surprise, Lyn knelt, dodging his slash by a hair’s breadth and countering with a pommel tap to the stomach. As soon as it started, the bout ended.

“Fast…” Izuku mumbled as he let his blade drop to his side.

“You’re quite fast as well, Izuku. I’m sure I am faster than you, yet you took the initiative. It’s impressive for sure.” Lyn complimented, sheathing her blade as she stepped back to make some distance for the next bout. “How much do you know about footwork? We could practice that instead before we start using our swords.”

“Frankly, not much. Please teach me.” Izuku rubbed the back of his head, sheathing his blade. “Where do we begin?”

“My father used to chase me through a forest to learn by trial and error, though it seems that option is unavailable. We shall practice with the long grass instead. I notice you focus a lot of movement on your upper body as you fight. You should move through the grass, not above it.” Lyn reminisced, pointing to a grassy area behind the hill. “I shall go first, do your best to follow me.”

And with that, Lyn slid down the hill and dashed through the grass, barely ruffling the blades of grass as she maneuvered through it. Izuku jumped down to follow, surprised by how much the grass slowed him down as he pushed through.

“There are openings where the grass is thinner, openings that change with each step. They exist in all things, even in combat. When you learn to see and take advantage of them, your footwork naturally improves as well.” Lyn called from the other side of the long grass. With that, Izuku set himself to work trying to spot these openings Lyn talked about. 

Back in Japan, One For All trivialized the need to look for openings, and All Might’s style of going Plus Ultra and punching his way through his opponents only complemented a reckless but straightforward fighting style. His training with Gran Torino only went as far as analyzing the older hero’s movements and unlocking Full Cowl. Training at the forest camp with Tiger only increased his stamina and endurance, though it did allow him to keep up with Bub, Mac and Aron.

As he pondered his thoughts, he struggled through the rest of the long grass. He eventually reached Lyn, who seemed to also be thinking about something as she stared at him.

“How did you move with that speed enhancing ability you had in Japan? It might help to learn in a similar context.” She asked, to which Izuku gulped. After he came to terms that it would help him in the long run, he spoke.

“The one who helped me develop that ability flew circles and kicked me around until I managed to tap him within a time limit.” Izuku sighed, cringing as he remembered the times he slammed face-first into an alley wall in the middle of the night to practice the prototype of Full Cowl.

“I see. I cannot fly, but I suppose I can ‘beat’ the footwork into you. Would these do?” She nodded, looking around until she picked up two slender yet sturdy leafless tree branches. “We’ll go at it until Mark wakes up.”

“A-alright. Please be gentle.” Izuku stuttered as he caught the branch Lyn threw to him and held it as he would his sword.

“I’ll do my best.” Lyn said as she began weaving around Izuku; striking at areas he couldn’t guard with her branch.

At first, the young man was struck multiple times in a row; unable to focus as Lyn’s chest bounced about with her accelerated movements. After a particularly hard hit to the head, Izuku slowly became better. He started blocking some attacks and began to analyse how Lyn stepped into and out of attacks. He watched how she adjusted her knees to dodge so precisely and how her one-handed grip focused more on her pinky rather than the two-hand grip he had on his own blade/branch. He planned on asking her the specifics when they got on the road; Gran Torino’s advice of thinking on his feet helped him push aside distracting thoughts and streamlined his analytical abilities on not getting smacked by Lyn. Eventually, Mark climbed up the hill and waved them back to camp.

“I already started preparing some food, go wash up and it’ll be ready. You two went at it for quite a bit. Do you think we can still make Bulgar by the afternoon, Lyn?” He asked, passing both the swordsmen waterskins to refresh themselves as he turned to Lyn.

“It should be fine if we increase our pace by a bit. The roads should be easier to traverse as we get closer to the city as well.” Lyn nodded, wiping some sweat from her brow as she passed her branch to Mark. “There’s a river nearby. Please take these back to camp while Izuku and I clean up.”

“Yeah, sure.” The tactician obliged as he took the duo’s branches, picking up Izuku’s bag as well.

“And don’t take too long now, alright Izuku?” Mark teased as he threw a subtle wink at the green-haired boy. Too tired to make a proper rebuttal, Izuku simply waved his friend off as he fought the blush on his cheeks.

As Mark went back to finish preparing their morning meal, Lyn led Izuku to the aforementioned river; leaving him at the nearest bank while she headed upstream for some privacy. The boy hadn’t bathed since their stay in Bulgar. He hoped he wasn’t annoying the others if he stank. Stripping himself down, he entered the river and sighed as the cool water relieved the tension from his practice. He absentmindedly wondered if Lyn felt the same relief upstream.

Izuku immediately dunked his head into the river. He didn’t like having thoughts like that, but he couldn’t help it when Lyn was right in front of him. She reminded him of Mirko, the Rabbit Hero, both in their strength and their beauty. Not that they’d even need to be a hero to turn him into a stuttering mess. Any girl other than his own mother did that well enough. Shaking his head to get rid of the water in his hair, as well as dispersing his thoughts, he got out and dressed himself. It was uncomfortable having to wear his things without drying himself first, but he didn’t have much choice in the wilderness. Perhaps he would invest in a towel when they got to Bulgar.

“Have you finished, Izuku?” Lyn called from behind some tall reeds on the shore, obscured from Izuku’s sight.

“Y-yes! Just finishing getting dressed, Lyn.” Izuku stammered as the Sacaen woman stepped out of the reeds. Other than her damp hair which was now let down, she seemed perfectly dry. He hadn’t even put on his green vest, his tunic and pants soaked with water. Seeing Lyn without her boots, he assumed it was safe to go without footwear. He didn’t want to ruin his, for some reason unchanged, sneakers. “It might seem like an odd question, but how did you dry yourself so quickly? I’d be nice to know in the future.”

“If you wipe off the excess water with your hands, it should only take a couple minutes for your body to dry. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work with long hair like mine.” Lyn explained as she combed through her hair with her fingers. Izuku nodded, getting used to the feeling of damp clothes. Hopefully, it would dry as they marched in the sun.

“Let’s go. I believe Mark is waiting for us to eat and go.” Izuku segued, Lyn taking the lead as he followed her.

“Good, I just finished. It’s just some soup, but I’m no chef.” Mark waved them over as they passed the hill. It looked inoffensive enough, perhaps a shade thicker than Lyn’s soup the night before. The taste was just as inoffensive; mildly tasting of meat and vegetables, but nothing too noteworthy. They finished their meal and set out for the city; unaware of what, or rather, who, awaited them.

====

“Batta is dead? Tch. Leave me to my thoughts.” The fake priest sneered as the bandit who reported to him left the room. 

Not only had the tactician and his companion escaped, but so had the mercenary and three others; the axe fighter, the thief and the archer. His bandits were able to capture the myrmidon and the two brigands, keeping them tied up in a private room at the shrine. Should they come back to take revenge, the priest would have something to dissuade them.

In other news, it seemed that the tactician found an ally in the plains. He must have, to defeat Batta and the bandits that accompanied him. The bandits found three different trails that led away from the smouldering camp. By his calculations, they were split into three groups. The largest group of three with the archer from the bow that was recovered, two others that slipped away in the opposite direction, and the one mercenary that managed to shake off the priest’s Sleep staff before the bandits could tie him up.

Now he had to concern himself with how to recover the tactician. Perhaps fate would lead their footsteps back to him. Should their ally be a plainsmen, they would surely come to the shrine before going back to Bern to receive a blessing from the Mani Katti. The sword was proving to be quite the boon, even if it was unusable for combat. For now, he had to maintain the guise of a priest, at least until his mission was complete.

====

“Oh, my heart! What a dazzling vision of loveliness!” A man in green armour leading a horse called out to them. Thinking that he was addressing someone else, Lyn started to move to the next stall to buy some ingredients for the road. 

Their group had arrived to Bulgar some time after noon and had already restocked their supplies. They sold the ger to get coin to repair Mark and Izuku’s clothing. The tent just weighed their one horse down and they didn’t mind sleeping outside as long as they had their bed rolls. Just a couple other purchases and they would be on their way to Bern. With Lyn’s knowledge of the city, she quickly navigated ahead of the duo and their horse to get what they needed.

“Wait, O beauteous one! Would you not favour me with your name? Or better yet, your company?” The man reached out and gently turned Lyn toward him, a rose in hand as he flirted with her. Mark and Izuku had never seen such a shameless display before, and had no clue on how to react. Luckily, Lyn seemed to have a response.

“Where are you from, sir knight, that you speak so freely to a stranger?” She asked, pushing his hand off her shoulder.

“Ha! I thought you’d never ask. I am from Lycia. I hail from Caelin canton, home to men of passion and fire!” The ‘knight’ laughed, brushing his straw-coloured bangs with his fingers as he talked with pride.

“Shouldn’t that be ‘home to callow oafs with loose tongues’?” Lyn ruthlessly rebutted, giving the man a look of disgust. Mark and Izuku had to stop themselves from laughing outright, gripping and shaking each other with wide eyes.

“Oooh… You’re even lovely when you’re cruel.” The man gripped his chest with his hand, as if Lyn’s words had given him a heart attack. “Milady, I-”

“Sain! Hold your tongue!” Before the man in green could finish his sentence, a ginger-haired man with similar red armour interrupted and pulled the green knight back. He too had a horse trailing behind him.

“Ah, Kent! My boon companion! Why so severe an expression?” The green knight, Sain, turned to greet his friend, a feigned look of concern on his face.

“If your manner were more serious, I wouldn’t have to be so severe! We still have a mission to complete, Sain!” The red knight, Kent, reprimanded. To Mark and Izuku, who were still a stall away from Lyn and the knights, it seemed like the current situation was one Kent had to deal with quite often.

“I know that. But how could I remain silent in the presence of such beauty? It would have been discourteous!” Sain argued, more of a playful jab to his companion than a valid rebuttal.

“What do you know about courtesy!?” Kent yelled. They reminded Izuku of a manzai routine, with Sain as the boke and Kent as the tsukkomi.

“Excuse me! You’re blocking the road. If you would be so kind as to move your horses…” Lyn interjected, having finished with what she needed at the stall and wanting to move to the next, but it seemed that the red knight had unwittingly boxed her in to the stall she was currently at.

“Of course. My apologies…” Kent nodded, bowing before he trailed off as he felt a spark of recognition as he saw Lyn’s face.

“Thank you. You, at least, seem honourable enough.” She gave a small curtsy in return, further shocking the red knight as Lyn started for the next stall.

“Pardon me, but… I feel we’ve met before.” Kent called out, giving Lyn pause.

“I beg your pardon?” She asked, confused as to what he meant.

“Hey! No fair, Kent! I saw her first!” Sain interrupted, mildly annoyed. His friend might be hopeless with romance, but damn was that a smooth line.

“Tsk! It seems there are no decent men among Lycia’s knights! Let’s go, Mark, Izuku! I’ve run out of patience!” Lyn clicked her tongue in rage as she stormed off, Mark and Izuku following her toward the south gate of the city. At least they had gotten what they needed. Mark even managed to snag some ingredients for ice cream. Perhaps he could get Izuku to make some for Lyn to cool her down.

“Wait, please! It’s not like that!” Kent tried to stop her, foiled by a wagon that crossed between them, blocking the street.

“...Sain, you lout!” Kent yelled at his companion, having run out of patience for his friend’s antics.

“Huh? Not like that? I thought you were…” Sain sobered, trying to explain himself before Kent silenced him with a glare.

“I am NOT you!!! Come, we must follow her! I suspect she might be-” Kent trailed off as he mounted his steed, whipping the reins for it to leap over the wagon.

“Be what? She’s our mission? You’re joking! Wait!” Sain realized as he mounted his own horse and dashed after Kent.

====

“Run!!! We’re being pursued!” Lyn yelled as she took Mark by the hand and her horse with the other. As a tactician, Mark was naturally slower than the rest and it showed in his laboured breathing. Lyn decided to throw him atop her horse to get him to safety faster.

The city had just left their sights before Lyn noticed someone trying to shadow the group. Before she could turn back, the group quickly rushed at Mark, Izuku and Lyn. They wouldn’t be able to make it to the gates before the unknown group caught up.

“Could it be those knights from town?” Lyn asked aloud, only to be answered by Mark atop the horse.

“No… It’s not them. Those knights have more distinctive armour. We’ll have to make a stand here, while the terrain is favourable and you both still have your energy.” Mark replied between breaths, finally able to regulate his breathing now that he didn’t have to run.

“Heh heh hehhh… Aren’t you the pretty one! Your name is Lyndis, is it not?” A gruff silver-haired man with a scar on his forehead chuckled as he stepped away from the shadows. He had the tell-tale signs of a bandit, in both his garb that matched the ones of Mac and Aron, along with the axe that hung off his hip.

“What did you call me? Who are you?” Lyn asked, her hand already on the hilt of her blade as she and Izuku formed a wall between the bandits and Mark.

“Such a waste. An absolute waste. The things I’d do for gold… Ah, well. Time to die, darlin’!” The bandit sighed before he drew his axe and spun it in his hand, weighing his options before leaping at Lyn.

“Hey! There she is!” A voice shouted as the sound of horse hooves grew louder.

“Tch, use the trees for cover boys!” The bandit ordered as he leapt back into the brush that deceptively hid the other bandits.

“Whew… Finally caught up… Hold! You there! What’s your business with the maiden? Such numbers against a girl? Cowards, every one of you!” Sain sighed before he shouted at the bandit, yelling his insults into the brush at the others.

“You! You’re from-” Lyn looked at the green knight in shock before he and his companion trotted to stand in front of Lyn’s party.

“We can discuss that later. It appears these ruffians mean to do you harm. If it’s a fight they want, let them look to me!” Kent said as he rallied his horse, drawing his blade.

“Stand back! We’ll take care of this!” Sain directed as he brandished his lance, an slender iron spearhead attached to a wooden shaft.

“No! This is my fight! Stay out of my way!” Lyn refused. She was adamant on personally finding out why some random bandit she’s never seen before knew her name.

“Well, I can’t just stand here and do nothing…” Sain shrugged with a frown. He would typically acquiesce to such a beautiful maiden, but to fight against bandits, he was rather nervous for her safety, especially if she was their mission.

“I have a solution. You there, you’re a tactician, correct? Command us. I am Kent, a knight of Lycia. My companion is Sain. We will follow your orders in this battle. Is that acceptable, milady?” Kent suggested, turning to Mark, who gave the knight a nod. Izuku was confident in Lyn’s abilities, but the sound of knights fighting alongside them was certainly reassuring.

“Yes, it is. Mark will lead! Let’s go!” Lyn agreed, turning to Mark for his orders.

“You! You are called Mark? I want to impress my beauteous one! Let me attack first!” Sain appealed to the tactician. Mark was relieved that he stepped up to the plate. He would need to get a better idea of their abilities. With a point of the tactician’s finger, the knight charged at the first bandit advancing towards them.

“Direct my arm!” Sain shouted as he drove his lance forward. The bandit jumped over the attack and swung his axe at Sain’s head. Luckily, the green knight bucked his horse back, blocking the bandit’s attack with his arm guard. “Whoa! I missed!?”

“Quickly, back him up!” Mark directed, sending Kent, Lyn and Izuku to defeat the bandit in a pincer attack.

“Sain! Why aren’t you using your sword?” Kent asked, wondering why his companion still held his lance, despite its disadvantage against axes.

“The lance is more heroic. A knight should look heroic, don’t you think?” Sain defended himself, flashing a wink at Lyn. The girl simply sighed and shook her head.

“You’re hopeless. If you don’t take fighting more seriously, you’re going to find yourself on the end of a blade!” Kent reprimanded, sheathing his own blade now that the first bandit was dealt with so he could take his horse’s reins with both hands.

“Truth be told, I… forgot to buy a sword after the last one broke.” Sain said with a sheepish look on his face.

“Forgot? Or were you simply too busy dallying with the ladies?” Kent rebutted. With what they had seen from the green knight, it was highly likely.

“Don’t be so mad! I’ll be fine with a lance. I’m that good!” Sain replied with a self-assured smirk.

“I’d prefer to rely on your skill, not your empty bragging! Take my spare blade and use it to attack next time!” Kent took a spare blade in a scabbard and threw it to his companion, who hastily fastened it to his belt.

“Are you sure? My thanks, Kent!” The green knight thanked with a sincere smile, leaving his lance in its holder on his horse.

“You’re almost more trouble than you’re worth. Almost.” Kent sighed as he turned to Mark for his orders.

“Mark! Give me another chance! I can take them out!” Sain pleaded, but Lyn noticed something about the green knight.

“You… Your name is Sain, right?” She asked. Even though she heard Kent reprimand the lackadaisical man by name countless times, she wanted to be sure herself.

“Yes! Sain, the gallant man of Caelin. That’s me!” He replied with fervor, bowing dramatically atop his horse.

“If you insist… Why have you not healed yourself?” Lyn asked, pointing out the blood that dripped from the arm Sain used to block the bandit’s attack.

“Huh? Hey! I’ve been injured? What a cad I am! To wrinkle that perfect brow of yours with worry for me…” Sain undid his arm guard, revealing a bloodied bruise underneath. He took it surprisingly well, Izuku thought. Perhaps Sain had a damage tolerance akin to the green-haired boy.

“Uh… I was thinking of giving you a vulnerary, but… It looks like you’re fine. So, nevermind.” Lyn frowned at his display. He seemed fine, it would be better to save the vulnerary for a more dire occasion.

“No, wait! I’ll take it! Please! I’ll take it!!” Sain corrected, his tough act eroding for the opportunity to receive something from Lyn. Sighing, Lyn took a vulnerary from the fold of her sash and tossed it the cavalier’s way. Mark took some bandages from his bag and trotted up to Sain, helping the knight with bandaging the wound.

“Ah, much better! Thanks, Mark! And you have my gratitude as well, my angel.” Sain sighed in relief, sliding his arm guard back on and clenching his fist.

“Alright, here’s the plan. Sain and Kent; us three will clear the path south for our horses while Lyn and Izuku maneuver through the brush. It will be easier for them since they’re on foot.” Mark commanded, before turning to Izuku specifically. “Do your best to think strategically, Izuku. I know you have the aptitude for it.”

With a nod, Lyn and Izuku went off the road, spotting a bandit by a tree and advancing towards him.

“We’ll do a simple flank strategy and I’ll be the bait. Is that ok?” Izuku asked, an affirmative nod from Lyn before he dashed out at the bandit. Intent on being more than simply bait, Izuku drew his blade and slashed at the bandit. 

As the bandit hopped back, Lyn rushed out and disarmed him, forcing the bandit to the ground with the tip of her blade.

“How does your leader know my name?” She demanded, to which the bandit responded to by spitting at her and telling her to die. Lyn sighed and sliced his throat, silencing him permanently.

“Are you alright, Lyn?” Izuku asked from behind her, taking a handkerchief from his haversack and offering it to Lyn.

“I’m fine. The quicker we get to the bottom of this, the better.” Lyn grunted, taking the handkerchief from Izuku and wiping her face clean. After a breath, she managed a small smile at Izuku.

“Mark was right. I’m surprised you are taking up the sword with your tactical prowess. I’m glad to have you by my side, Izuku.” Lyn said, flustering the poor boy who could only respond with a shy nod.

“Come, let’s catch up with Mark and the knights.” Lyn took Izuku by the hand and moved on, spotting another bandit. “What’s the plan?”

“Huh? Ah, I want to try taking him on myself. Can you jump in if something goes wrong?” Izuku snapped back to reality, quickly analyzing the situation and drawing his blade for his plan. Lyn gave him an affirmative nod.

“Hey you b-...” Izuku tried to yell an insult, sputtering before simply yelling at the bandit, “Come and get me!”

It worked well enough; the bandit running at Izuku and leaping at him with his axe. At the last moment, Izuku dodged to the side as the bandit lodged his axe in a thick branch that was behind the green-haired boy. With the bandit’s grip still firmly on his axe, Izuku simply bashed his temple with the pommel of his sword; knocking out the bandit.

“Well done. Is it wise to leave him alive? He may chase us for revenge.” Lyn nodded, questioning his decision when she simply would have killed the bandit.

“It sounds like they were paid to do this. If the leader dies, he would have no reason but to go about his life.” Izuku explained. He didn’t have it in him to kill someone he knew nothing about. He hoped the bandit would simply turn himself around after he woke, however unlikely it could be.

“I see…” Lyn’s eyes thinned for a moment, barely holding herself back from arguing. The bandit had been dealt with, and that should have been all she cared about.

“Thanks, Lyn. Let’s regroup with the others. The bridge is in sight.” Izuku nodded, sheathing his blade as he and Lyn made their way out of the brush.

“My angel! Are you unharmed?” Sain shouted as he trotted over to Lyn and Izuku. It was reassuring to see that Mark and Kent were not so far behind, the tactician holding a pensive expression.

“Yes, we are fine. Thank you Sain.” Lyn monotoned, not wanting to deal with the knight’s flirtatious antics.

“What’s wrong, Mark?” Izuku asked. The riders seemed to have come out fine, so Izuku was confused as to why Mark looked so conflicted.

“It’s Sain. He seems to be stronger than Kent, but he ends up making the dumbest mistakes. The fool nearly ran himself into a tree because he forgot it was there when he went after a bandit. Luckily, it seems he has a decent instinct at defending himself.” Mark vented, the red knight beside him rubbing his brow in disappointed agreement.

“The last bandit is over the bridge. Is everyone ready?” Mark announced as he changed the topic. He would go over the analytics of the battle with Izuku later. With a nod from the entire party, they rushed over the bridge with Kent in the lead.

“Accursed knights, always tampering in other’s affairs!” The bandit yelled as he parried Kent’s sword, only to be simultaneously run through by Sain and Lyn. Hacking up blood, the bandit coughed his last words, “Blast… There was only… supposed to be a lone… girl…”

“That’s the last of them. Well done, Mark, Izuku!” Lyn complemented as she sheathed her blade. “And now for these knights of Lycia. You were going to discuss your story with me?”

“Yes. We have ventured from Caelin, in Lycia, in search of someone.” Kent nodded as he dismounted, leaving Sain to drag the body away from the main road.

“Lycia… That’s the country beyond the mountains in the south-west, isn’t it?” Lyn asked, a hand on her chin as she recalled her geography.

“Correct. We’ve come as messengers to the lady Madelyn, who eloped with a nomad some sixteen years ago.” Kent agreed, much to Lyn’s shock. She repeated the name with a confused familiarity.

“Our lord the marquess of Caelin’s only daughter. He was heartbroken his own daughter would abandon him so. Eventually, the marquess simply declared that he had no daughter.” Kent continued somberly.

“And then, this year, we received a letter from Madelyn. It said she, her husband, and their daughter were living happily on the Sacae plains. The marquess was ecstatic to learn he had a granddaughter of fifteen years. I remember the smile on his face when he announced that he’d suddenly become a grandfather. The granddaughter’s name is Lyndis. This was also the name of the marquess’s wife, who passed away at an early age.” Sain spoke with a small smile. He had returned to continue where his companion left off.

“Lyndis?” Lyn repeated, lost in thought as she continued to listen to the knight’s tale.

“That she should bear this name thawed the marquess’ heart. Now, his only wish is to meet his daughter’s family at least once. This is why we’re here. We didn’t know that Lady Madelyn died a few days after sending her letter… We only learnt this shortly after arriving here in Bulgar.” Sain frowned, unable to continue.

“But we also learned all was not lost. Her daughter yet lives. We heard that she was living alone on the plains… I… I knew it immediately. You are the lady Lyndis.” Kent said with resolute determination.

“Why would you think that…” Lyn posed, still in the process of understanding the weight of what the knights were saying.

“Your resemblance to your departed mother is remarkable.” Kent answered.

“What? Did you know my mother?” Lyn asked out of shock.

“I’m sorry to say that I never met her directly, but I saw her portraits in Castle Caelin.” Kent frowned, shaking his head.

“To the rest of my tribe, I was always Lyn. But when I was with my parents… When it was just the three of us, I was Lyndis. It’s all so strange. I was all alone in the world, and now I have a grandfather. Lyndis… I never thought I would hear that name again.” Lyn finally said with some clarity. “Wait! That bandit! He called me Lyndis, too!”

“What? How could he have–” Kent exclaimed in shock.

“He was a henchman of Lord Lundgren, wasn’t he?” Sain answered, surprising Izuku and Mark. The green knight seemed to be sharper than his attitude would suggest.

“Lundgren? Who’s that?” Lyn wondered, the name foreign to her.

“He’s the marquess’s younger brother. Everyone assumed the lady Madelyn was gone forever. This made Lord Lundgren heir to the marquess’s title.” Kent responded, explaining who the lord was.

“To be blunt, milady, your existence is an obstacle to your granduncle’s ambitions.” Sain spoke with a disgruntled tone, no doubt aimed at Lundgren.

“That’s– But I have no interest in inheriting any title!” She rebutted.

“Unfortunately, your granduncle is not the sort of man to believe that. I believe the attempts on your life will persist.” Sain sighed with a frown.

“What should I do?” Lyn asked, turning to the knights.

“Accompany us to Caelin. Continuing on like this is dangerous.” Kent advised with a severe look.

“I feel I have little choice. I will go with you. Please give me a moment with Mark and Izuku.” Lyn decided, the knights nodding and giving the group some space as they kept watch further down the road.

“Mark… I’m sorry. This changes everything. What do you want me to do?” She turned to the tactician for his advice. He had dismounted Lyn’s horse as well, not wanting to burden it further.

“Lyn, that should be the least of your worries. It is your choice.” Mark spoke, to which Izuku agreed. It wasn’t like the green-haired boy had anything else going on. Perhaps this was part of Bramimond’s mission for him.

“You… want me to decide? Of course, your companionship would do much to ease my journey, but… It’s going to be so dangerous.” Lyn hesitated, saying what she wanted but not confident that she would get that answer.

“Then say no more. We will accompany you to see your grandfather in Caelin. I’m your master strategist, no? I will fulfill that role until the end!” Mark pledged, a hand on his chest as he bowed to Lyn.

“You’ll come? Are you sure? Even you, Izuku?” Lyn asked in disbelief.

“Of course. I will help in any way I can; that’s what a hero would do.” Izuku nodded with a smile.

“Thank you! Let me ask once again for your friendship and your aid!” Lyn tearfully thanked as she hugged the both of them. Mark and Izuku smiled at each other and reciprocated. It was heartwarming news after hearing the trials Lyn had to face not too long ago.

====

“One thing I hadn’t mentioned,” Kent started as they trotted down the road. After baiting Sain to bear most of their belongings on his horse, the group all rode on horseback; Izuku riding with Kent while Mark and Lyn rode together. “The letter never mentioned a brother. Lord Hausen will undoubtedly be pleased to have two heirs.”

Izuku gave Mark and Lyn a look for advice. Something in Mark’s eyes told him that he should go along with that story until they settle for camp. It would be no good to shellshock the knights while they were travelling.

“Yes… I was quite the surprise when I was born.” Izuku responded, authenticating his emotion with his feelings when he discovered that he was quirkless.

“I see. Your swordplay is different from milady Lyndis. Was that simply the difference in training you received?” Kent asked, trying to maintain conversation with Izuku riding with him. The knight couldn’t tell from being in front, but Izuku was hard-pressed on how to respond.

“Y-yes. Lyn was always father’s favourite. She picked up the sword much better than I.” Izuku stuttered, hoping Lyn wouldn’t fault him for lying. He knew topics relating to her parents were tough for her.

“Would you be open to a spar when we settle for camp? I would like to test my prowess. I have some pride in my sword skills.” Kent posed, to which Izuku readily agreed. It would be good to train with the knights. After a bit of riding, the group came to a crossroads.

“Mark, hold a moment. Could I make a short detour?” Lyn asked, pointing to the path northeast rather than their path southwest to Lycia.

“Sure Lyn. What’s the detour for?” Mark nodded, changing the group's direction according to Lyn’s demands.

“I would like to make a visit to the shrine in the temple there. I would like to see the Sword of Spirits, the Mani Katti.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to GoldenWitch for beta-ing the chapter! Don’t forget to check out her fanfic, Ghosts of the Body.  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/20589941/chapters/48882833
> 
> Switching gears next chapter. Time to find out what’s going on somewhere else in Elibe. I think I’ve left Izuku on a good cliffhanger. We’ll probably get back to him soon. ;)
> 
> Thanks to grag for leaving Kudos and to the two people that have this fic bookmarked! Look forward to the next chapter!


	4. The Mad Dogs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku has found his place among new friends, but he was not the only one to be transported to Elibe. Having been out of the fight against the League of Villains, Bakugo has no clue what’s going on when he awakes in Apocalypse, the Silencing Darkness. What will the hotheaded youth do now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a lot of fun writing this chapter. If you liked what you read, please leave a comment/review! 
> 
> To prevent confusion, I’ve gone back and made some minor edits to phrasing. The Knight class will be referred to as Armour Knight and the Fighter class will be called Axe Fighter. Knights will refer to those who serve a noble house and fighter will be used as a general term. The ‘Blade’ line of swords will be referred to as claymores, and blades will be used interchangeably with both claymores and swords. The spears in-game will be referred to as throwing spears, and the term will be used to refer to lances in general.

“Fuck.” Katsuki eloquently stated to the void as he rubbed his face. He was lying on his back as he tried to remember what happened to him. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by suffocating darkness. On reflex, he used his Explosion to launch himself off the floor onto his feet, secretly relieved that it still worked. He continued to set off little popping blasts, giving off enough light to see if he was hurt anywhere.

“So you’re awake.” A voice called from the darkness, which Katsuki handily responded to with a Stun Grenade blast.

“How rude. You don’t even know if I’m a bad guy.” The voice Katsuki now recognized as his own scoffed from somewhere behind him.

“Fine, tell me straight before I blast you to the stratosphere. Who the fuck are… you?” Katsuki threatened as he turned to face… himself. It was almost as if the explosive blond was looking in a mirror. Whoever it was in front of him shared his face, hair, characteristic scowl and even his physique; clear under the dark green robes that clothed the person in front of him.

“I am Bramimond, the Enigma. Better remember it. You want to be a hero right? I got just the thing for your sorry ass.” ‘Bramimond’ said in the same tone Katsuki typically spoke to Deku with.

“Hah?! You wanna go?!” Katsuki shouted back, quickly winding up an arm to throw another blast before he was bopped on the head by a gold staff that appeared in Bramimond’s hand. The design was unfamiliar to Katsuki. The part that hit him held a sapphire orb, faintly glowing the color of stardust.

“Sit the fuck down. Anyone ever told you about fixing that rudeness of yours? It pisses people off.” Bramimond reprimanded, satisfied by the small red bump that appeared in the middle of Katsuki’s forehead. He shook his head, as if he was trying to focus on something else. 

“I hate communicating with these rude types. That Izuku boy was much simpler...” Bramimond grumbled out of earshot, rubbing his brow in mild annoyance. This was the deal he made to master Apocalypse. He made his bed, now he had to lie in it. Katsuki zeroed in on ‘Izuku’ and instantly threw a blast at Bramimond.

“So this is about that shitter Deku, isn’t it? Did he set me up making that stupid plan of his? No wonder he was so confident in ‘taking on’ All Might! He took out the competition!” Katsuki raged, throwing blast after blast after each statement, finishing with an explosion worthy of his sports festival performance against Roundface. His arms started to throb, but if it did a thing to Bramimond, the blond would be satisfied.

“Your quirk is damn annoying. It’s satisfying to know that you’ll lose it.” Bramimond’s voice spoke through the explosion, the clearing smoke revealing a black book that floated in front of the hooded figure. The open page contained a void that seemed to have swallowed Katsuki’s entire attack.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Katsuki yelled, lunging forward to tear the book out of the way to throw another explosion at Bramimond.

“For someone as barbaric as you, a brigand would fit best.” Bramimond scoffed as he bonked Katsuki in the head once more with his staff, the small red bump growing with the strike and interrupting him from using his quirk. The book moved aside to compensate for the robed one’s attack, giving Katsuki another opportunity to strike.

“I’ll show you barbaric!” The blond shouted as he leapt forward, prepared to blow Bramimond to smithereens. Instead of a massive explosion, Katsuki got… nothing.

“About damn time… but I can’t just leave you with only your fists, can I?” Bramimond sighed as he turned away from Katsuki to ponder.

“What did you do to me?!” Katsuki tried to threaten as he attempted to activate his quirk, to no avail. He couldn’t even get a whiff of smoke going.

“Where you’re headed, quirks don’t exist. I’m giving you an advantage by helping you learn a substitute here. This should fit a brigand like you.” Bramimond explained, an iron axe dropping out of his tome. It was of simple make; a single bit head attached to an arm-length wooden handle. He threw it at Katsuki, aiming to hit the boy’s head with the blunt side of the axe’s head.

“The hell does that mea-huh?!” Katsuki roared as he caught the axe before it could hit him, surprised by how comfortably it sat in his hand.

“That, exactly. Your potential, even without your quirk, is impressive. Come, I will test your skills until you leave this place.” Bramimond taunted, brandishing his staff while his tome floated at his side.

“Tch, this has to be some terrible joke. Fine, prepare to eat your words!” Katsuki replied as he spun the axe in his hand. It felt as natural as his quirk did. He could even see himself doing the simplified aerial movements with it. Before he could leap at Bramimond, the robed man held up a hand, purple runes encircling the blond before dissipating.

“If you’re going to be a brigand, you might as well look the part.” Bramimond said with a smug smile, leading Katsuki to look down at himself. Gone were his clothes from the training camp, replaced by black trousers and red-orange elbow braces. He was bare chested; his sneakers were replaced by white leather boots.

“You gotta be kidding me! The hell is this?! I look like some low level boss in a video game!” Katsuki raged, pulling at his clothes in mild disgust. He hated how well it fit his image.

“No no no, you look like a h-hero.” Bramimond denied, holding his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. The robed man greatly enjoyed what the boy’s own personality had wrought upon him. While the boy’s collection of traits did not seem heroic in the slightest, Bramimond could sense his latent potential; should he grow past his bad habits. “Come, now is the time to fight.”

“Prepare to eat your words!” Katsuki roared, his anger renewed as he leapt in the air, bringing his axe down hard on Bramimond’s staff. While the robed man was easily wielding it in one hand before, now he had to use both to brace against Katsuki’s attack. Pushing the blond back, Bramimond attempted a horizontal sweep, blocked by Katsuki’s axe.

“Without that book, you’re nothing!” Katsuki shouted as he brought his axe around and chopped at Bramimond’s head.

“You’re more correct than you realize…” Bramimond responded somberly, poofing into purple smoke. 

“Your time here has come to an end. Best of luck, Katsuki.” Bramimond’s disembodied voice called as a circle of purple runes lit up around Katsuki, lifting the boy into the air.

“So this is it? I’ll make sure I come back and beat you properly after I’m done with this saving the world business!” Katsuki yelled with a scowl into the void.

“Hmph. I almost look forward to it.” The voice scoffed, replacing Katsuki’s field of view with the void once more.

====

“Would you look at what the cat dragged in. You must be part of the fresh meat that was coming in. The hell are you doing out here?” A rough voice roused Katuski into consciousness, the blond opening his eyes and staring at a grizzled bald man in a tank top looking down at him.

“Who the fuck are you?” Katsuki growled, sitting up against a nearby wall. He was in some sort of alleyway, the people passing by looking like foreigners but sharing his shade of hair.

“I’m a fightmonger. Call me Dietrich. Your first fight starts in a couple minutes. Get your ass off the floor and get into the ring.” Dietrich answered, unfazed by Katsuki’s foul language as he grabbed the boy’s arm and lifted him onto his feet.

“What? Where am I?” Katsuki tried to resist, surprised by the fightmonger’s vice grip on his arm. He started to reach for his axe that was strapped to his belt.

“Wouldn’t do that if I were you. I’m not a fightmonger for nothing. This is the arena. Now get in there.” Dietrich’s glare made Katsuki hesitate for long enough for the fightmonger to throw the blond down a hallway, an iron gate separating them.

“The hell’s this?” Katsuki asked as he banged on the grate, trying to get the attention of the fightmonger who had started to walk away.

“Try not to die!” Dietrich responded, not looking back as he took a turn, disappearing from Katsuki’s sight.

Now that the blond had the chance to observe his surroundings, he noticed the racks of generic weaponry lining the walls of the hallway. They had a variety of designs; swords, claymores, lances, axes and bows arranged by quality. They ranged from silver weapons with blue handles kept secure by a series of sturdy locks, to mid-grade steel weapons with red handles, and finally, mediocre iron weapons that seemed to be of similar make to the axe on his hip. 

Next to the weapon rack was a bookcase with three shelves; each shelf giving off a different vibe. One reminded him of a church he accidentally stumbled into as a child. Grabbing a leather book off the shelf, Katsuki looked at the cover and found a dotted yellow cross, with the title ‘Lightning’, emblazoned at the top.

It looked like a religious text of some sort, it’s impetus being to teach its user the ‘lightning’ spell. Looking back at the bookshelf, Katsuki saw a tome he was immediately more interested in. Placing the ‘lightning’ tome back where he found it, he grabbed a red tome and was greeted by an image of a fireball on the front cover.

‘Fire’. It was no Explosion, but if he could learn this spell, wouldn’t he basically have his quirk? Flipping the book open, he was instantly slammed with a wall of illegible text, incomprehensible to the blond.

“Fuck!” He swore as he closed the book and put it back on the shelf. He’d get back to it later. It was then that he noticed the last shelf containing black tomes. They all seemed to have the same title, ‘Flux’. It reminded Katsuki of Bramimond’s aura, albeit severely toned down.

Stepping back from the bookcase, Katsuki heard the din of a crowd beyond the hallway. He supposed it was as good a time as any to figure out what Dietrich had been talking about.

Walking toward the light at the end of the hallway, Katsuki was blinded by the sun blazing overhead of the ‘arena’, as Dietrich had called it. The design aesthetic was reminiscent of the roman colosseum they had gone over in ancient history.

“A young veteran hailing from the arenas of Etruria! A warrior who has fought both man and beast tooth and nail and won! Bored of the fodder in Aquleia, he’s come to Bern for our entertainment! The grizzled gladiator, Dieck!” An announcer shouted from a podium far out of Katsuki’s reach. On the other side of the arena, a gate opened to reveal a lion with golden fur and bulging, almost unnatural muscles. 

“His opponent, everyone’s favourite lion, Arthur!” At the sound of his own name, the lion roared, causing the audience’s cheers to get louder.

“Kill him Arthur! Etruria’s gladiators can suck it! Give us a good show!” The audience jeered as the lion prowled around the arena, staring at Katsuki. With seemingly no other choice, Katsuki slid his axe off his belt and held it between himself and the lion, stalking closer to the beast. If he could nail the lion’s neck as it lunged, he was pretty sure it’d go down. He had one shot if he didn’t want to get mauled.

Not even a day and he was in a deathmatch. The boy wondered if Bramimond had shafted him, given their animosity. Focusing back on his fight, he and the lion were getting dangerously close to each other, the distance between them only about five meters.

With barely two meters away from each other, the beast lunged for Katsuki’s throat; the blond dodging to the side and clipping the lion’s neck with his axe. Unfortunately for Katsuki, the lion’s paw had managed to scratch his chest; drawing blood. While the lion had bled too, it only served to enrage the beast further.

With a deafening close quarters roar, the lion lunged once more; not giving the blond enough time to recover from the roar to dodge. In a desperate effort, Katsuki placed the handle of his axe into the beast’s maw to stop it; the lion’s jaws breaking the axe in two. 

Taking the end of the handle in one hand and the head of the axe in the other, Katsuki shoved the fractured handle under the lion’s jaw, holding it in place as he brought the blunt end of the axe down on its head with a shout. With a baleful roar laced with pain, the lion swiped at Katsuki; forcing the blond to let go of the handle as the lion’s claws shredded his abs.

Leaping back, Katsuki placed a hand to his bloodied stomach while the other held the head of his axe. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He didn’t even have his weapon anymore!

The lion pawed at the handle in its jaw, the glorified splinter clattering onto the arena floor. Having enough of playing with its food, the lion charged at Katsuki; intent on ending the fight now.

“Fuck fuck fuck!” Katsuki swore as he tried to think of a way of dealing with the lion other than killing it. With only an axe head, what were his options? 

“I’m going to put that bastard Bramimond through the fucking wringer for this!” He grunted as he braced himself for the encounter with resolute determination. He just hoped that this world had some version of Recovery Girl for what he was about to do next.

As the lion leapt at Katsuki with its jaws wide open, the blond shoved his left arm into its mouth, the force of the lion’s bite breaking his arm with a nasty crunch. With a scream of rage, Katsuki buried the axe head in the lion’s skull, killing the beast as its momentum bowled him over.

The crowd was dead silent, on the edge of their seats to see who won. Moments later, Katsuki managed to pry his arm out of the lion’s maw, sliding out from under it and standing up, his arm limp at his side. 

“Take that fuckers!” Katsuki roared victoriously as he held his other fist up, the crowd cheering wildly. It seemed his dissenters had turned a new leaf. His adrenaline ran out moments later; the blond hitting the ground with a thud.

====

“Hey, you’re finally awake. You’re one hell of a fighter; I’ll give you that. You got the crowd riled up too.” Katsuki heard from Dietrich as the blond slowly woke and gathered his wits. He was on a simple bed inside a stone room with a single wooden window and door lit by some wall-mounted torches. A small table acted as a nightstand next to his bed. It seemed like he was still inside the arena.

“What the fuck happened?” Katsuki asked, realizing that both his chest and left arm were sore. Looking down, he noticed that his body was wrapped in bloodied bandages, and the blond wasn’t sure he wanted to see what lied underneath.

“You killed the lion in the arena and passed out. Some bishop passing by decided to heal you up. Something about your potential to grow for his lord. Didn’t stick around to see you wake up though. He mentioned that your arm would just be sore for a bit.” Dietrich explained, polishing an iron axe he had on hand. It’s glint in the torchlight spoke to Dietrich’s experience in using the weapon type.

“So why’re you here?” Katsuki followed up, undoing the bandage on his arm. He was relieved to see that the only lasting damage was the bite mark on it. The arm itself felt like he had just overused his quirk, rather than having it been bitten in half during his battle.

“I’m the one who has to manage you. You fight for me, and I’ll take care of the rest. I used your winnings to get you this room and a new axe. Here’s the rest.” Dietrich explained flatly, tossing a coin pouch at Katsuki, the blond catching it with his right hand before it could hit his chest. It felt rather full. Placing the axe on a table, the fightmonger stood. “You’re free for the rest of the evening. I’ll come for you in the morning. The crowd wants another round.”

Before Katsuki could ask what Dietrich meant, the fightmonger shut the door behind him as he left; going off to who knows where.

“What the hell am I supposed to do now?” The blond said aloud as he sat, stunned. Shaking himself from his reverie, Katsuki supposed that some exploration to find out where Bramimond dropped him would be the wisest decision. 

Getting off the bed, Katsuki unwrapped the rest of the bandages and opened the window and looked out to see a rather nice view of a mountainside in the sunset. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem that there were any people around in that direction that he could get information out of. After securing his axe and money to his belt, Katsuki cracked the door open and looked around to see if someone would come and toss him back into his room for leaving.

Not immediately punished for his curiosity, Katsuki closed the door behind him and started wandering around. There were other fighters around, but none seemed apt for conversation; drawing mutual scowls whenever he met one. There was a draft in the hallway, and without his quirk to naturally keep him warm; Katsuki shivered. He’d need to get something to cover up.

Eventually, Katsuki came upon a staircase heading down. His expression had been set in a permanent scowl after his interactions, or lack thereof. He hadn’t been able to get any info from anyone he met on the floor. They looked to have all been fighters in the arena and equally brusque to everyone around them.

The stark difference between floors nearly gave the blond whiplash. The floor was full of people; vendors and buyers alike milling about. While he never had a fear of people, the fact that he was in a completely different world gave him pause before he could take the first step into the crowd.

“Hey, you. Come here.” A man in a tank top called to Katsuki from behind a stall next to the staircase. “You’re the gladiator that killed Arthur, aren’t you? Dieck or something. I got something for you.” 

“Who’re you?” Katsuki scowled at the man, not having lowered his guard yet as he made his way to the front of the stall.

“I’m just a vendor. Any stuff from the beasts that the fighters kill that take some processing is sold by me. I give the fighters who killed a beast a discount on those goods.” The man explained, gesturing to the apparel behind him. It was mostly tooth necklaces and sets of armour accented by animal parts.

“So… how do you like these? They’re Arthur’s. I stand by the opinion that the best wear capes. All the Eight Legends did.” The vendor said as he brought out a large cape with a golden mane-like collar. The back was a duller sheen of gold while the inside was a crimson red. While it looked gaudy, it also looked really warm.

“If you tell me how money works here, I’ll take it.” Katsuki offered, crossing his arms as he waited for the vendor's response. His interest had been piqued by these ‘Eight Legends’, but he’d save it for another time. Basics of how to get by came first.

“Ah, right. Etruria. Those artisans have odd perceptions of coin. Most standard gold coins are worth 100 gold each. A cape like this would typically cost 8,000 gold, but with the discount I offer, it’s only 4,000! It’s almost as good as the exalted silver card rates!” The vendor nodded in false understanding, before taking out a coin of his own and placing it on the counter in front of Katsuki. Even without doing the math, Katsuki could tell that something didn’t add up.

“How are you making a profit like that?” Katsuki asked, surprised by the discount. He almost had enough to buy the cape at full price. “Actually, I don’t care. Just give me the cape.”

“This rate’s only for the fighters who killed the beast, you know? Arthur had a pretty high bounty on his head until you came along. He killed plenty of gladiators who thought they could get some easy money from a lion.” The man explained, before taking a quartet of tooth necklaces off a stand and placing them on the counter next to the cape. “I also get a small cut of the winnings of some gladiator bets. Here, these would add to your image immensely.”

“What are these?” Katsuki picked up one of the necklaces to examine it, noticing that the teeth had a crimson hue.

“Necklaces made from Arthur’s teeth and claws. It’s pretty badass to wear the cause of your battle scars, don’t you think? I’ll add it in for an extra 1,000!” The vendor bargained, fueling Katsuki’s machismo.

“You have a point. I’ll take it!” Katsuki agreed, taking his pouch and dumping three quarters of its contents on the counter in front of him. “5,000 gold, right?”

“You certainly learn fast! Pleasure doing business…” The vendor complimented before faltering, forgetting Katsuki’s name.

“Call me Dieck. Thanks for the stuff.” Katsuki answered, giving the vendor the name the announcer used in the arena as he put the necklaces on first. If he was going to have to fight again, he didn’t want the difference in names to cause suspicion. As he fastened the cape around his shoulders, his stomach grumbled. “You know where I could get a bite to eat?”

“The taverns are further down that way. Good luck with your fights, Dieck!” The vendor answered as he pointed Katsuki in the direction opposite to the stairs. 

“Thanks. See you around.” Katsuki waved as he walked off, a little more confident in himself.

It only took him a couple minutes of walking to smell the food from the stalls. What stood out to him most was the smell of bread. It lacked the sugary scent that the bakeries in Japan would give off. The way things seemed, it looked like the part of the world Katsuki was located in was medieval. It was a rather late revelation, but hey, the guy had to fight for his life literally hours ago. He deserved some leeway. Discerning the different scents in the air, he made his way to the establishment that smelt the meatiest. He was bound to get a good meal there, right?

“I’ll take your best meal if you tell me what’s in it.” Katsuki ordered from the burly barkeep behind the counter.

“I recommend the roast boar, bread and cabbage soup. Take a seat at the counter and I’ll bring it out when it’s ready.” The man responded, gesturing to a seat at the bar that he had just finished cleaning.

“And for how much?” Katsuki asked as he took a seat. He still had about seventeen coins left after buying the cape.

“500 gold and I’ll top your drinking cup when it’s empty.” The barkeep answered, an acceptable price for the blond.

“600 if you give me some info.” Katsuki bargained, leaving six gold coins on the counter.

“Sure, let me get your order to the cook.” The barkeep nodded as he peeked into the kitchen and barked the order at the cook inside. Satisfied that the cook understood what he said, he turned back to Katsuki. “So, what do you want to know?”

“Where am I? I know this is an arena, but that doesn’t explain where I am.” Katsuki asked first. Dietrich had given him the smartass answer, and he wasn’t about to get it again.

“You mean the country? We’re on the Bernese side of the Bern-Lycia border.” The barkeep answered. That didn’t mean much to Katsuki, but it was a start. What other relevant information did the blond need now?

“How do people become heroes around here?” Katsuki remembered what Bramimond had said in that void. It was a long shot to ask some random person, but if they knew by chance, it would make things much easier. 

“Hero? I’m pretty sure those guys promote from experienced mercenaries. I think some of the Eight Legends were heroes too.” The barkeep pondered for a moment before giving his answer. 

“I heard one of the vendors mention something about the Eight Legends earlier. Who are they?” Katsuki asked, curious by another mention of ‘the Eight Legends’. He figured now would be a good time to ask who the hell they were.

“They were the ones who fought the dragons about a thousand years ago during The Scouring. After they won, they spread across the continent. Three of them just settled in the territories they went to, while the other Five founded the countries of Elibe. Our nation was founded by Hartmut, the Hero. He was the leader of the Eight.” The barkeep answered with pride.

“That’s pretty cool. Run me through the others.” Katsuki nodded. It would be like him living in a country founded by All Might. Why wouldn’t he be proud of that?

“I’m not as well versed, but I’m pretty sure it's Roland who founded Lycia, St. Elimine and Etruria, Hanon and Sacae and Barigan and Ilia.” The barkeep had to count on his fingers to make sure.

“What about the other three? Where’d they go?” Katsuki questioned, keeping the countries in mind. He would ask later how one would travel between the countries.

“There’s the Berserker, Durban, who went to settle in the Western Isles, Archsage Athos disappeared into the Nabata desert and one more…” The barkeep trailed off as he tried to remember the name of the last legend. “Ah, yes. Bramimond, the Enigma. Elimine knows where he fucked off to.”

The mention of the name made Katsuki’s eyes go wide in recognition. Bramimond was nearly a thousand years old? If his fight was already over, why would he send Katsuki here?

“That’s all I need to know, thanks.” Katsuki grumbled, deep in thought. The barkeep nodded and left, coming back with the blond’s food. It was tasty, but Katsuki was too preoccupied with his thoughts to take note of it. Giving the barkeep a sign of thanks for the food, he retreated back to his room. His sleep was plagued with thoughts; of his purpose here and what he was supposed to do now.

====

“Rise and shine fresh meat! Get something to fill your guts before you spill your guts!” Was the rude awakening Katsuki received as he was dunked with a bucket of cold water. The soaked blond grabbed the axe on his bedside and swung it at his attacker.

“Good, looks like you’re awake now.” Dietrich smirked as he simply blocked the axe with the wooden bucket.

“Have you ever heard of knocking?” Katsuki snarled as he unlodged his axe from the bucket and got out of bed. He had used his cape as a blanket and was planning on wearing it during his fight. Hanging it by his window, he hoped it’d be dry when he got back from breakfast.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Dietrich laughed as he tucked the bucket under his arm. “I’ll come back in an hour to take you to your match. Don’t make me find you.”

“Yeah, yeah. I won’t run away.” Katsuki waved the fightmonger off, shaking the excess water out of his hair before he put his necklaces on. He wasn’t used to wearing these sorts of things back in Japan, so he had taken them off before he slept. He had come to the conclusion that if he fought enough times in the arena, he could simply be promoted into a hero and work from there.

The two left the room, Katsuki heading to the tavern for some food while the fightmonger went off to deal with other business.

With a clearer path in mind, Katsuki wasted no time in getting to the tavern and called for the barkeep as soon as he took his seat.

“I’ll take whatever you got for breakfast.” Katsuki offered, dropping three gold coins on the table. He trusted the barkeep to give him a decent meal, but a little extra incentive never hurt.

“I just made this quiche, wanna try some?” The barkeep offered, holding a large plate with the golden tart steaming hot.

“Will it kill me?” Katsuki asked sarcastically, already prepared to eat the dish either way.

“Of course not! Professionals have standards!” The barkeep retorted, offended by the thought of serving poisoned food.

“I kid, give me a slice. I got another fight to get ready for in an hour.” Katsuki scoffed, waving off the barkeep’s concern.

“Here, good luck with your fight.” The barkeep served up a generous slice of the quiche and went about tending to the tavern’s other guests. It had a refreshing blend of herbs to lighten the eggs that Katsuki didn’t recognize. He’d ask the barkeep after his fight. Cleaning his plate, he went back to his room to prepare for his battle.

He donned his cape, the vestment having dried in the morning breeze and took out his axe and practiced using the weapon. Just as he was getting comfortable with his routine, Dietrich kicked the door open.

“You better be in here or Elimine help me!” The fightmonger yelled as Katsuki chucked his axe through the door, missing Dietrich and embedding itself in the hallway. “Good, you’re already here.” 

“KNOCK YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” Katsuki roared at the fightmonger, unfazed that an axe had just flown next to his head.

“Whatever, your fight starts soon. Let’s go.” Dietrich shrugged nonchalantly.

“Do you not care that you could have literally died?!” Katsuki asked, shocked by the fightmonger’s casual response.

“I work with death for a living. You better get used to it if you’re going to go far in the arena, Dieck.” The fightmonger explained, leading the way to the battleground. At a loss for words, Katsuki just followed Dietrich after freeing his axe from the wall.

====

“Returning for another thrilling match, Dieck!” The announcer shouted to the crowd, the audience roaring the name as Katsuki walked into the open, his cape billowing behind him as he raised his fist in the air.

“His opponent for today! Our national treasures! The beasts only our military can claim right to! The stubborn, the proud, the vicious! The mighty wyvern!” The announcer bellowed as a gate rose and freed a large red winged beast, one any child could easily recognize.

“I have to fight a FUCKING DRAGON?!?!” Katsuki shouted incredulously at the beast that nearly doubled him in height. Granted, Ryukyu was a hero who could transform into a dragon, but he never thought he’d fight her, nevermind an actual dragon.

With a roar, the wyvern took to the air, hovering high enough above the ground that Katsuki wouldn’t easily be able to reach it. He would need to ground it before he could even think of winning a fight. 

As Katsuki took out his axe, the wyvern’s eyes narrowed, as if ascertaining its prey. Rearing back and flaring its wings mid-air, the wyvern dove at Katsuki, teeth and claws ready to tear him apart. 

Far too quick for him to counter, Katsuki just dove out of the way, his cape fluttering behind him as the wyvern flew over him. 

“Holy shit that’s fast!” Katsuki thought as he tried to follow the wyvern with his eyes. It twisted and dove again; the edge of the blond’s cape taking the brunt of the blow. Seeing how the cape moved in the wind had given him an idea. Unfastening his cape, he held it in his free hand, letting it billow in front of him.

“Come on then! Come at me!” He yelled at the wyvern, taunting it to dive at him again. It took the bait, and with a mighty flap of its wings, the wyvern dove at the cape that hid Katsuki. It met no resistance as it passed through. So surprised was the wyvern by Katsuki’s ploy that it hadn’t noticed the blond leaping over the cape until he had landed on the wyvern’s back.

“Sorry, but I need to win.” Katsuki apologized to the wyvern as he used the blunt side of his axe to break one of its wings. For such a truly magnificent beast to be alive in the flesh, Katsuki couldn’t bring himself to kill it outright. As his axe strike crumpled the appendage, both man and wyvern began to fall to the ground.

Grabbing the wyvern’s head by one of its horns, Katsuki drove the falling beast to the ground, slamming it’s skull into the arena floor to disorient it or knock it out if he was lucky.

Unluckily, the wyvern thrashed on the floor, throwing Katsuki off it’s back and hissing at the blond. It was stuck on its four legs, its snake-like body barely held off the ground. Seeing the wyvern out of its natural element made Katsuki cringe in guilt. He hoped the match wouldn’t go on for longer.

Picking up his fallen cape, Katsuki noticed that the ends had ragged tears, likely from the wyvern’s claws. A shame, but it had given him an edge in the fight. Putting it on, he dashed at the wyvern, going for a quick knockout blow to end the match.

Just as he was about to close the distance, he was blindsided by the wyvern’s tail, throwing him away from the beast. Getting up, Katsuki took a more careful approach, not wanting to be swatted a second time.

As the wyvern whipped its tail around to hit Katsuki again, the blond caught the appendage, digging his heels into the arena floor to keep him from flying. Unable to push Katsuki further, the wyvern swung its tail in the opposite direction, the boy letting go lest he be flung as well. 

With the wyvern’s tail out of the way, Katsuki lunged at the beast. The blond blocked a claw swipe with his axe as he punched the wyvern with his free hand, disorienting it. Kicking the wyvern’s front leg out from below, Katsuki slammed the blunt head of his axe on the wyvern’s head; finally knocking the beast unconscious.

With a shout of victory, Katsuki raised his axe to the audience, cheering at the teen’s second victory. He watched as some men from the arena hoisted the wyvern on a cart and took it away, before leaving the arena himself. He wanted to find Dietrich.

====

It took a surprising amount of wandering for Katsuki to find the fightmonger. Well, he had too much pride to ask anyone if they had seen the fightmonger, so the fault laid with the blond. Katsuki found him overlooking the final fight of the day in the middle layers of the crowd. The time for lunch had long passed. He had bought a small meat pastry to abate his hunger until dinner.

“Ah Dieck, that was a good fight. Are you here for your cut?” Dietrich turned away from the battle for a moment and spotted the fighter staring him down apprehensively.

“What happens to the wyvern? The one I fought.” Katsuki asked, practically ignoring what Dietrich had asked.

“Oh, that beast? We thought you killed it. Since you broke its wing, the higher-ups are thinking of killing it in a week if it can’t fight. Why do you ask?” Dietrich recalled how the wyvern had been roused as they were leaving the arena. He had been there to subdue it without much issue.

“I want to buy it, if you’re going to get rid of it anyway.” Katsuki offered, trying to maintain a stoic expression. He knew that Dietrich could easily turn the tables on him if he wore his emotions on his sleeve.

“Even injured, they have quite a steep cost. You’d have to fight and win four deathmatches to buy it, not to mention the money you need to take care of other essential needs. Why would you want a wyvern anyway?” Dietrich explained, curious as to why a gladiator would want a wyvern.

“You’re telling me you wouldn’t want a pet wyvern?” Katsuki argued, crossing his arms in mock anger.

“You got me there. I’ll try and set up another fight for you tomorrow. Here’s your cut for today.” Dietrich held his hands up in surrender and pulled a pouch of gold, tossing it to Katsuki. “I’ll come by tomorrow for your match.”

“Thanks. Fucking knock and I’ll get up, ok?” Katsuki nodded as he caught the pouch, weighing it in his hand. It wasn’t as heavy as his winnings from his battle with Arthur. Based on what the announcer had said and his own experience, he had to admit that Arthur was a more difficult opponent.

“No promises. See you tomorrow.” Dietrich smirked and walked off. They had run out of high-risk animal opponents for the fighter. The fightmonger would have to come up with something else that would make the same profit to meet Katsuki’s demands.

====

4800 gold. Apparently, he needed four times that amount to buy the wyvern. By his calculations, he would need to win three more matches, considering how he spent all of yesterday’s winnings on clothing and information gathering. As he was ruminating, he entered the tavern and sat at the counter, waiting for the barkeep to take his order.

“Barkeep, I’ll take what I had yesterday.” Katsuki asked as he put five coins on the counter.

“Coming right up! Don’t need info today?” The barkeep pried, taking Katsuki’s order to the kitchen like he did before.

“Nothing I can offer gold for.” Katsuki said with a grimace. He had to prioritize buying that wyvern before it was killed. Without its ability to fly, its chances of being able to win a fight were close to zero.

“Hmm… Alright, one question, free of charge. You seem like a decent fellow.” The barkeep offered with a smile.

“Really? Then help me out with the geography around here. You talked about Lycia, Sacae and Ilia before. Where are those places relative to Bern?” Katsuki asked with mild surprise. He lacked a map, but the general direction should do until he did find one.

“Sure? Lycia is to the west of us, Sacae to the north east while Ilia is far north. Planning on travelling?” The barkeep nodded, taking out a simple map and circling each of the countries.

“Not anytime soon. Could I borrow this for the night?” Katsuki responded, examining the map closely. The regions were named in red ink, while major cities seemed to be marked with black ink.

“If you’re coming back for breakfast tomorrow morning, I don’t see why not. You could probably get one of the merchants to make a copy for you for a couple gold coins.” The barkeep advised, putting a bowl of cabbage soup and some bread in front of the blond. Stashing the map in his back pocket, he started to dig into his meal.

The cabbage soup made him miss classic miso soup. If he could find the ingredients, he would need to recreate the recipe. The tavern bread, as he had discerned from his first whiff of the place, lacked the sugary scent of the bread he was used to. 

As he finished the soup, the barkeep brought out his large plate of roast boar. The slice of pork with attitude had all the familiar spices of a pork roast back home. He enjoyed it greatly, along with a golden drink that the barkeep had left for him. It smelt familiar, but he couldn’t place the scent.

“Hey barkeep, what is this stuff?” Katsuki asked, his speech slurred as he held the half-full wooden mug out to the barkeeper. The blond had already gone through four cups of the stuff that the waitresses topped off for him.

“You’ve been drinking it without knowing? That’s mead!” The barkeep chuckled at Katsuki’s flushed face. It looks like he had too much.

“Why didn’t you give it to me before! Another round!” Katsuki cheered, recalling how his meal yesterday lacked the beverage. The blond was surprised by the shake of the barkeep’s head.

“You’ve had enough for tonight. Where’s your room?” The barkeep frowned. He assumed the fighter could have held his liquor, considering the other things he had done during his time in the arena. He should have kept a closer eye on the blond.

“What are you talking about? The night’s just begun!” Katsuki argued, standing on his seat and raising his mug in the air. With a toast to the crowd, the blond downed the rest of the drink in one go, almost falling over in his stupor.

“Haaa… You owe me for this.” The barkeep sighed as he caught the blond, supporting the fighter’s shoulder. “Take care of things for me. I’ll be back in a bit.”

With those words, he left the tavern to his waitresses and brought Katsuki to his room with much difficulty. Luckily, the barkeep had run into Dietrich, who led them to Katsuki’s room, not even hiding his laughter at the boy’s state. Katsuki would have a peaceful night, and a terrible morning.

====

“Good morning, motherfucker! Time to go!” Dietrich shouted as he dunked Katsuki in another bucket of cold water. It only elicited a groan from the blond, suffering a terrible hangover.

“Didn’t I tell you to knock?” Katsuki got up with effort, rubbing his head.

“Considering how you were last night, I thought I’d make sure.” Dietrich answered with a smirk.

“Urgh, give me that bucket!” Katsuki lunged at the fightmonger, grabbing the bucket just in time for him to throw up into it, preventing the boy from making a mess.

“Damn. I’m not taking that back. I’ll come back later. Clean yourself up by then.” Dietrich quirked an eyebrow, turning to leave and giving Katsuki a modicum of privacy. “Oh, and the barkeep wanted to see you when you got up.”

After retching his guts for the next couple minutes, Katsuki turned to his nightstand, noticing a wooden mug. It was simply water, but Katsuki drank it without a second thought. Partially refreshed, Katsuki hung his cape to dry and stumbled his way to the tavern.

“So you’re back, eh? Take a seat, I’ll get you something for your headache.” The barkeep waved the hungover blond, taking the boy’s mug and filling it with water.

“Was that mead you gave me last night alcoholic?” Katsuki asked as he rehydrated himself. His headache got marginally better, but he was far from cured.

“Alcoholic? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Mead is made by fermenting honey and water with bread yeast.” The barkeep answered, confirming Katsuki’s suspicions. He couldn’t blame the barkeep for serving him alcohol. The idea of prohibition had come with the advent of the industrial age.

“I doubt you were able to get a copy of the map, so I took it and got it done for you.” The barkeep waved a rolled up parchment in his hand, putting it on the counter. “500 gold, for this and breakfast.”

“Really? Thanks.” Katsuki nodded, realizing that the map that the barkeep had given him last night was no longer in his pocket.

“Here, eat up. The fightmonger told me you have another match today. This should help with your headache.” The barkeep said as he dropped a bowl of soup and a plate of bread in front of Katsuki. Taking a sip, Katsuki immediately noticed the presence of ginger mixed into the chicken soup, alleviating his headache further.

“Thanks, this is really good.” Katsuki nodded to the barkeep, quickly consuming the rest of the soup and bread. Wiping his mouth, he was now revitalized. Taking out five coins, Katsuki placed them on the counter as he made his way back to his room.

“Good luck with your match.” The barkeep collected the coins and bid farewell to Katsuki.

====

Back in his room, Katsuki donned his cape and began practicing with his axe again. He was still mildly affected by his exploits last night, but he worked to overcome the nausea with his training. Sensing the approach of Dietrich, Katsuki sheathed his axe and grabbed the full bucket, opening the door before the fightmonger could perform another one of his dramatic entrances.

“You haven’t emptied that out yet?” Dietrich frowned, referring to the bucket. Interestingly, the fightmonger had both an axe and a bow and quiver strapped to his back. Was he going to fight today as well?

“Didn’t have the time. Is there somewhere to properly dispose of this before I have to fight?” Katsuki retorted, pinching his nose with his free hand to block the smell.

“Yeah, we can run by the nearby river on our way. Your fight is later than usual, anyway.” Dietrich nodded, leading the way to said river. After leaving the arena and passing through the alleyway where Katsuki and Dietrich met, they came upon a small river where Katsuki suspected Dietrich got his ammunition for his morning hijinks.

Dumping the contents of the bucket in a thicket near the bank, Katsuki knelt by the bank of the river and rinsed the bucket in the water. Satisfied that it was clean, Katsuki stood and looked around. Like his view from his room had confirmed earlier, mountains surrounded the arena, a small winding path the only way in and out. For a building that relied on the public to fund itself, they certainly made it hard to get to.

“We’re going to cut it close, so I’ll take care of the bucket while you fight. And take this.” Dietrich offered with one hand held out while the other held the axe that was on his back. It was a bearded axe with a red handle, denoting the weapon as a mid-grade steel axe. “It’s a little unwieldy, but it’ll put out a little more power if you need it.”

“Thanks… I appreciate it.” Katsuki replied with a look of mild surprise, passing the bucket to Dietrich and taking the axe as the two returned to the arena for Katsuki’s match.

“I’ll be watching. Don’t let me down.” Dietrich said as he left Katsuki at the battleground entrance. It struck the boy as odd. Was there something that Dietrich was concerned about? The fightmonger had gone out of his way to get the fighter another axe. Perhaps the opponent was just more difficult than before. 

Not wasting any more time dwelling on his thoughts, he pulled out the iron axe off his belt. He tried to use both at the same time, but gave up when he realized he wouldn’t be able to acclimate himself in time for the match. He decided that he would start with the iron axe and swap into the steel one if the situation called for it. Slipping the steel axe into his belt, he walked into the battleground.

“Returning for the third time in a row, the Etrurian gladiator, conqueror of lions and wyverns, Dieck!” The announcer hyped, the crowd cheering as Katsuki raised his fist. The title fed his ego nicely.

“And his opponent! Another fighter of notable skill! A lancer with a lust for battle, Setanta! Known for his incredible endurance, his spear was stained red with the blood of his foes!” At the mention of his name, Katsuki’s blue-haired foe raised his fist in the air. From the cheers, it seemed the lancer was a crowd-favourite as well.

“Tell me boy. You lack the smell of death. How many men have you killed?” Setanta asked, resting his trademark spear casually on his shoulders. He was nearly bare chested like Katsuki, but he wore blue pieces of cloth on his upper arms; revealing red tattoos that snaked from his right torso to his right arm.

“I don’t need to know how to kill to kick your sorry ass!” Katsuki roared as he lunged at Setanta. What a stupid question to ask.

“So, you haven’t. How disappointing.” Setanta frowned as he lunged at Katsuki, slashing horizontally with his spear; the blond blocked it with his axe. Pulling the lance back, Setanta thrust it upwards before slashing downwards; drawing trails of blood on Katsuki’s chest as he barely dodged the attacks.

“Thirty five.” Setanta muttered as he performed three rapid thrusts with his spear, finishing his combo with an upward slash that threw the blond back.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Katsuki coughed, landing on the floor and rolling to get back on his feet. The blond had done his best to minimize the damage from the spearman’s thrusts, but he was covered in cuts and his left side had a rather glaring chunk missing.

“The number of men I’ve killed!” Setanta yelled as he jumped and slammed his spear into the blond’s head, reversing their positions as Katsuki brought up his axe to block the spear.

It was only in the short moment of respite as their weapons clashed that Katsuki realized what Setanta just admitted. This man had killed more than the infamous Hero Killer!

“How could you kill that many people?!” Katsuki asked out of anger and disbelief. He wrenched Setanta’s spear to the side as he planted a firm kick to the spearman’s torso.

“For the thrill!” Setanta responded as he whirled his spear in a vertical arc mid-air, unaffected by the kick, forcing the blond to leap back. It gave the spearman enough time to spin his spear around himself with enough force to remain airborne long enough to get into position for another vertical slash.

Katsuki couldn’t even retort the man’s response; too occupied dodging the slash that easily cleaved the ground open and failing to evade the kick to the chest that sent him sprawling on the ground. 

“Come on, boy. I can’t get serious if you don’t come at me seriously. This false bravado shit ain’t it.” Setanta had used his spear as a pole vault, the spearman now dislodging it from its place and slowly walking up to Katsuki’s prone form. The boy’s iron axe lay far enough away from him that Setanta knew he wouldn’t be able to reach it in time. The lancer raised his spear over his head, intent on bringing it down on Katsuki.

“...on...lam...e...or...this…” The fighter on the floor mumbled, giving Setanta pause as he crouched down.

“What did you say, boy? Speak up.” The lancer taunted, confident that he had defeated the blond.

“Don’t blame me for this!” Katsuki growled as he lashed out with the blunt head of his steel axe, instantly breaking Setanta’s left ankle. The weapon had been hidden under the boy’s cape since the start of the fight, unbeknownst to the spearman.

“Son of a-!” Setanta swore as he hopped back before Katsuki could deal more damage to him, supporting himself with his spear. His ankle was bent at an awkward angle, making any movement with the leg painfully difficult; but not impossible. 

“You’re dead, boy!” The spearman snarled as he changed his stance, his spear pointed downward and his broken ankle in the lead. Grabbing his iron axe off the floor, Katsuki slipped the axe into his belt. He might have been desperate enough to use both axes at once if his left hand wasn’t occupied with staunching the blood flowing from his side. 

“Hate to break it to ya, but I’m not dying here!” Katsuki retorted, lunging at the spearman. The blond was depending on his increased mobility to see him through the match.

With a fierce shout, the spearman made the first strike, a deadly thrust to the heart. The feeling of spear hitting flesh was so familiar to Setanta that the spearman didn’t even have to question if he had hit his target. It only served as more of a surprise when his left hand was crushed against the spear’s shaft by Katsuki’s axe.

The blond had let himself get stabbed, grabbing the shaft behind the spearhead with his left hand and lifting it to miss his heart by a slim margin and stopping it before it could pierce deeper into his flesh. With Setanta’s forward arm vulnerable, Katsuki hooked his axe around the shaft of the spear, pinning and crushing the lancer’s hand against it. 

Using his position on Setanta’s spear, Katsuki yanked the spear to the side, forcing the lancer’s balance onto his weak ankle. Buckling from the pressure, Setanta crumpled to the ground, winded by the shaft slamming into his chest and subsequently letting it go. Dropping his axe, Katsuki removed the spear from his chest with a cry of pain. 

“Surrender, you’ve lost.” Katsuki ordered as he flipped the spear around in his right arm, Katsuki leveled the tip at Setanta’s neck.

“I don’t surrender. Kill me, boy.” Setanta snapped with an apathetic gaze. Now that Katsuki’s battle rage had subsided, he could hear the crowd around them cheering for the lancer’s death as well.

“I don’t kill.” Katsuki scowled, turning away from Setanta. He looked down at his wounds, cringing at the copious amounts of red leaking from them.

As he started shambling toward the exit, he looked up to see Dietrich aiming a bow at him from the entrance of the battleground, an arrow fully drawn. The fightmonger released the arrow, the blond throwing the spear away and barely ducking out of the way in time. 

Getting off the ground and making sure he wasn’t hit, Katsuki heard a gurgle behind him. Setanta’s throat had been pierced by the arrow, the lancer struggling violently for moments before he died, his face twisted in rage. The spear that Katsuki threw away had coincidentally landed next to Setanta’s head, giving the illusion that the spear had hit Setanta.

“And the lancer has died! Dieck wins once again!” The announcer shouted, the crowd unaware of Dietrich’s interference and cheering, believing that Katsuki had killed the lancer. Too tired to bother correcting the false assumption, Katsuki picked up his steel axe off the floor and slid it into his belt as he shambled to the exit. Katsuki didn’t notice the embedded tip of the spear beginning to change color. Dietrich gave him a steely-eyed glare.

“Your cut has been reduced. You were supposed to fight a deathmatch.” Dietrich explained apathetically, tossing a small bag of coins at the fighter’s feet. It was clear that he was not pleased by Katsuki’s actions. “Your next match is tomorrow. Get to the arena yourself.”

“Fuck you, too.” Katsuki spat as he picked up the bag and kept walking. His adrenaline had worn off, and he could feel himself growing paler with each step, but he had a destination in mind. The barkeep should help him recover from his wounds. At least, he hoped so.

====

“Are you sure we’re going in the right direction, brother?” The younger asked his elder. He was tall, and had short cut golden brown hair and aggressive brown eyes. He wore an open dark brown leather coat over an open black tunic, baring his well-sculpted chest. He had a dark gray belt which secured his dark-brown trousers, ending in black knee-length boots. Secured by a strap that partially obscured his chest, was a large silver claymore and on his bandaged right arm, was a shield that hid a hand axe.

“Yes, Kenneth did say the location was out of the way.” The elder responded, leading his brother through the fog. He was the same height as his brother, but his modesty in clothing and slimmer build led to the misconception that he was shorter. He had pale blond hair and serene brown eyes. His entire ensemble; his open leather coat, his tunic, his pants and knee-length boots, were black. The only spots of color were the green belts accenting his coat and the red sash that secured his sheathed silver sword. He held a torch that broke through the fog.

“Fog like this, on top of being hidden somewhere in the mountains. They certainly don’t make it easy to find.” The younger complained, keeping an eye on his surroundings as his brother pushed forward. Bandit gangs were common in the area, not to mention those dastardly Taliver bandits were around as well.

“It certainly wouldn’t be sought out if it was in plain sight, would it, brother?” The elder retorted, giving his brother a sidelong smile. He could certainly understand his brother’s ire, but it was a request of their father. He would complete the task at any cost.

“I suppose so. Maybe we can find a souvenir for Nino for the trouble.” The younger grumbled, wondering if he could find a nice flower for the young girl. It was only a month ago that the girl had made garlands for the brothers and Legault. The thief had found a method of preserving them, at the loss of their volume. It was actually rather convenient; the garlands now easily kept in the pockets of their coats.

“Heh. And it wasn’t too long ago that the Mad Dog lived up to his name. Have you finally been tamed, brother?” The elder joked, poking fun at how the younger brother came to dote on the green-haired addition to their family.

“Shut the fuck up, brother. You’re guilty of the same.” The younger snapped, his expression warped in scorn. Even if it was true, he disliked it being pointed out.

“Guilty as charged. Now let’s get back to business. I believe our target is only a day’s march away.” The elder held his hands up in surrender. Narrowing his eyes, he turned back to the fog, sensing presences beyond it. “It seems we have guests, brother.”

“Seems we do. Pray this ends quickly, scum.” The younger agreed as he drew his claymore; the fog rolling away to reveal a gang of bandits. With a drop of the elder’s torch, the brothers charged into battle.

====

Katsuki lost track of time. One foot in front of the other. His left arm had lost feeling. Eventually, the blond made it to the tavern, collapsing against the doorframe.

“Oi! What the hell are you doing here looking like this?” The barkeep immediately came to the fighter’s side, called over by one of his waitresses.

“I… wanted… to get… some info… You’re… my best… source… I got… another match… tomorrow…” Katsuki responded weakly with a half-smirk.

“What about that fightmonger? Isn’t he supposed to help you with something like this?” The barkeep questioned, referring to Dietrich.

“We had some… creative differences.” Katsuki replied, groaning as the barkeep picked him up. 

“Take care of the tavern for today. I’ll be back later to check on things.” After directing his workers, the barkeep took Katsuki to the fighter’s room.

====

Katsuki awoke expecting to be rendered immobile with pain. Instead, he was in his room, wrapped in bandages that were the color of dry blood. His wounds still hurt, but it was better than how he was. It seemed there was no mystery bishop to heal him this time. There was only a drained barkeep who was resting on a stool he must have brought into the room. A bucket full of bloody water and bandages lay at the foot of the bed, and two flasks that Katsuki didn’t recognize sat on the nightstand. His axes and cape rested against the opposite wall.

“Why am I alive?” He asked rhetorically, lying back on the bed and staring at his ceiling. He had come closer to death in the past three days then he had in his entire life. Was this how he was supposed to become a hero? Was this supposed to be an analogue of All Might’s journey to the top?

“I don’t know, but I do know that you  _ are _ alive. The only way to answer that question is to keep living.” The barkeep roused himself, giving Katsuki’s weapons a thousand-yard stare.

“I didn’t know you were a philosopher, barkeep.” Katsuki retorted defensively, surprised that the man was awake, especially considering his condition.

“I dabble. When you work with drunks, the skill comes naturally.” The barkeep explained, stretching his joints and getting off the stool. “It’s morning already. Your match is probably going to start soon. Are you sure you’re in any condition to fight?”

“No, but I’m not enough of a bitch to back down.” Katsuki growled, forcing himself out of bed and donning his cape.

“Ah, one last thing. You skipped dinner. I’m not letting you skip breakfast. For extra, of course.” The barkeep took out some emergency rations, some hardy but carb-dense bread and some dried meat to add some flavour.

“You keep surprising me, barkeep. I’ll take it. Keep this too. I won’t need it back.” Katsuki smirked and took the man’s rations, leaving a bag of twelve gold coins in his hand. 

“And thanks, barkeep. For saving my life.” With that, Katsuki shoved the bread in his mouth and left the barkeep behind, heading to his fight. 

====

Despite the energy that he drew from the rations, he was still far from peak performance. His left arm was still tingly at best, and all his cuts stung from reopening just by moving. At the threshold between the entrance and the battleground proper, he considered abandoning the fight. Slapping himself with his right hand, he refocused his thoughts. Backing down now would make his previous experiences mean nothing. Steeling himself, he marched onward to battle.

“The conqueror is on a roll! Thirsty for more blood, he certainly has an interesting challenger today!” The announcer started as Katsuki recognized his opponent, pausing as they rallied the crowd.

“The fightmonger himself, Dietrich! Bored of watching from the sidelines, the warrior has descended once more to grace us with a grisly performance! But he has one rule! Instead of relying on his renowned axe skills, he will only be using his bow!” The announcer hyped, the fightmonger taking the purple-accented bow off his back. As the announcer said, the supposed warrior had no axe on his person.

“I should have suspected that it was you.” Katsuki snarled as he walked toward the fightmonger.

“Business is business, Dieck. In deathmatches, killing is a must. Not being able to is the sign of a fighter who won’t go far. Considering the gap, I’ve decided to only use this bow with paralyzing arrows. If you can’t even touch me by the time I completely stun you, I will remove you myself.” Dietrich commanded, quickly drawing an arrow and letting it fly, nailing Katsuki’s injured shoulder.

With a roar of pain, Katsuki’s left arm was back to being fully numb as the arrow’s poison took effect, even after Katsuki had yanked the arrow out of his shoulder. Seeing another flying his way, Katsuki quickly drew his iron axe and ducked under the projectile.

“You can’t just make me kill, Dietrich!” Katsuki shouted as he tried to close the distance between them, blocking an arrow with the flat of his axe before it could hit him.

“Anyone can, with the right motivation!” Dietrich retorted as he drew three arrows at once. Katsuki chopped through two, but failed to stop the third from embedding itself in his right thigh. Not only were the shots disabling his limbs, they were excruciatingly painful; the force of each arrow amplified by the fightmonger’s burly physique.

Falling to one knee, Katsuki was barely able to dodge in time as another arrow flew past him. In an act of desperation, Katsuki flung his iron axe at Dietrich, forcing himself onto his feet as the fightmonger had to deal with the projectile.

Having dodged the flying axe, Dietrich brought his bow up to block Katsuki’s steel axe. The blond had leapt, attempting to bring the sharp edge down to break the fightmonger’s bow.

“It’s not going to be that easy, Dieck. I’m no master of the bow, but I can defend myself at this range.” Dietrich taunted as he spun his bow in his hands, turning Katsuki’s momentum against the blond and sending Katsuki to the floor, taking an easy potshot at Katsuki’s right shoulder. With a growling sort of shout, Katsuki grabbed the steel axe with his teeth and jumped to try and hit the fightmonger in a last ditch effort.

Surprised, Dietrich responded with an unrestrained rib-shattering gut punch, the blond dropping his axe as he was knocked unconscious before he could even register the pain. As the blond fell to the ground, Dietrich brought a hand to his cheek, tracing a small line of blood. Despite the sheer disadvantage in experience and skill, the blond had managed a single hit. 

“‘Dieck’ certainly had potential. Now to see if he would survive the poison.” Dietrich thought as he picked up the boy and his steel axe and lugged him away.

====

“What the hell is a kid doing here? This wasn’t part of our intel!” A gruff voice roused Katsuki into painful consciousness.

“He was probably one of the fighters here. His wounds are rather dire.” A similar sounding voice, albeit a little smoother, responded followed by the sound of metal being broken.

“Hey, you. What are you doing here?” The gruff one asked, Katsuki opened his eyes as he took in his surroundings. He was in some kind of cell, his wounds from his last battle untreated and worsening as a result.

“I lost… a deathmatch… Am I.. dying?” Katsuki responded with a glazed look. He couldn’t focus on who was in front of him. With how things were now, he didn’t have much time left.

“Curses. Brother, do you have that elixir we bought for Nino?” The gruff one swore, turning to his elder brother. The younger was a golden haired, muscular man with an open leather coat to prove it.

“I’m not a forgetful one, brother. You intend to use it on this boy?” The elder brother nodded, pointing his head at Katsuki. He was slimmer than his brother, his pale blond hair a similar shade to Katsuki’s own.

“He has to be a similar age to Nino. I can’t leave him like this.” The younger responded with a firm tone.

“I’ll come up with an explanation why it’s down a use. You think he knows?” The elder sighed, kneeling next to Katsuki.

“Who the hell are you?” A new voice shouted aggressively into the cell before the younger could respond to the elder’s question. Katsuki hazily recognized the voice as Dietrich’s.

“Maybe, but I’m sure this guy would know. Say, would you know where Rex Hasta is hidden?” The younger brother stood, pointing a finger at the fightmonger. At the mention, the fightmonger’s gaze changed from intrigued to murderous.

“How do you know that name?!” The fightmonger shouted as he pulled out a large silver axe from his back, a weapon he seemed to be much more comfortable using than the bow.

“Ah, a fighter. Good! Brother, take care of the kid. I’ll take care of business.” The younger brother cheered, drawing the large silver claymore he had on his back. Meanwhile, the elder took out a blue flask and held it to Katsuki’s lips. A single drink healed all his wounds and revitalized him, just in time to see the claymore user slam Dietrich into a wall.

“So… where’s the Spear of Mad Kings?” The younger brother asked as his claymore lay embedded in the wall, cleaving halfway through the fightmonger's shoulder as the brother’s foot kept the claymore in place.

“You’ll never get to it. The men guarding it are stronger than me.” Dietrich spat as he coughed up blood.

“Is that so? That’s good news to me!” The younger brother said with a slasher smile.

“Fucking freak.” Dietrich snarled as the brother drew an axe from the shield and beheaded the fightmonger before he could use a hidden dagger to attack him.

“Who… who are you?” Katsuki asked, surprised that anyone could take down Dietrich so easily after the fightmonger had wiped the floor with Katsuki with his secondary weapon.

“Ah, kid. Good to see you’re better. I’m Linus the hero, the Mad Dog of the Four Fangs. I’ve come to deliver the Fang’s justice.” Linus turned, wrenching his claymore from the wall and sheathing the massive blade. The term instantly got Katsuki’s attention. So this was a hero in this world? The man certainly seemed to have some sort of ideals, like the heroes of Japan.

“As soon as we get what we came for, we’re getting out of this place. Do you want to come along with us?” Linus offered, extending a hand to Katsuki on the floor.

“I don’t see why not!” Katsuki agreed with a crazed grin barely concealing his excitement. Now this was something he could roll with.

“Linus, do you plan on adding him to your troupe too?” The elder brother asked, having capped the elixir he had used to revive Katsuki and crossing his arms with a frown.

“I was thinking he could interact with Nino, actually. We’re almost double her age. She needs to be around people her age. She’s abnormal enough as is.” Linus argued, but the addition of the boy to his crew was certainly appealing. A quick glance revealed to the two brothers that the boy had a high potential for combat.

“I see. I have no qualms. Seeing as my brother already introduced himself, I suppose it’s my turn. I’m Lloyd, the White Wolf of the Four Fangs. What’s your name?” Lloyd nodded, accepting his brother’s proposition. The talk of the Four Fangs made Katsuki wonder if they’re a team of heroes or something similar.

“The name’s Katsuki. I’m not sure what this ‘Rex Hasta’ looks like, but I did fight a strong spearman using an interesting spear.” Katsuki introduced himself, recalling his duel with Setanta.

“It’s a start. What happened to the lancer and his weapon?” Lloyd asked, crossing his arms.

“He died. They must have reclaimed his weapon. It would probably be on one of the lower floors.” Katsuki answered, stripping himself of his bandages to check on his former wounds. They were completely healed, the elixir seeming to have pushed out the arrows that were stuck in his body.

“Then let’s go. Can you fight, kid?” Linus nodded, picking up a steel axe that Dietrich had on his person, offering it to Katsuki.

“I’ll manage.” Katsuki grinned and took the axe, slipping the familiar weapon back into his belt. He would’ve liked to be a help to the brothers, but it seemed their skill so vastly outstripped his that he would probably just get in the way.

Upon taking his axe, the trio delved into the arena depths. After barreling their way through any who stood in their way, they came upon a barrack holding the prized lance. Only now did Katsuki see that the formerly red spear had turned blue, with gold highlights. Lloyd and Linus seemed to recognize its power, the younger brother picking up the lance with some reverence.

“Time to clear out. More fights now would be meaningless.” Lloyd commanded, the group beginning the process of sneaking out.

“Wait, I have an idea. If we release the animals and have them run wild, we’ll be able to escape while the guards are busy rounding them up.” Katsuki suggested, giving the brothers pause.

“If you know the way, lead on.” Lloyd gestured, following Katsuki as the fighter found the chamber holding all the animals. 

As they entered, Linus took out his hand axe and began chopping the locks off the gates, freeing the animals inside. Seeing Linus’ technique, Katsuki did the same with the gates on the opposite wall, stopping at the last gate when the occupant didn’t immediately leave. Looking inside, Katsuki found his target. The red wyvern he had fought rested behind the gate Katsuki just opened, its wing still broken from his fight.

“Hey. I’m breaking out of here. You want to come along?” The fighter scrounged through his pockets, pulling out a piece of dried meat the barkeep had given him earlier. Approaching the boy with a snort, the wyvern carefully took the meat from Katsuki’s hand and bowed its head to the fighter. Petting the beast’s head, he showed it off to Lloyd and Linus; the brothers nodding in approval as they left the arena behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to GoldenWitch for beta-ing the chapter! Don’t forget to check out her fanfic, Ghosts of the Body.  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/20589941/chapters/48882833
> 
> Let me know if you like this kind of alternate perspective. Next chapter will be getting back to Izuku, but I’d love to go into the perspective of the other students that Bramimond dropped into Elibe if the demand is there. I feel like I should throw Fate somewhere in the tags with all the references I’ve been making.
> 
> Thanks to ParadoxConsort, RoyalCobalt for leaving Kudos and the 3 new people who bookmarked the fic! Look forward to the next chapter!


	5. Meeting Old Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unknowingly recruited into the Black Fang, Katsuki has quite the surprise waiting for him. Back to Izuku, his group had made a detour to the Shrine of Spirits, unaware of what, or rather, who was preparing for their arrival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Started cross-posting on FFN, for anyone who’d rather read on that site. The story’s name is the same, as well as my username. It updates once a week until I catch up to the backlog I have here.  
> In other notes, kind of forgot that the first BNHA movie takes place right before the Forest Training Camp, so I’m just going to ignore developments that take place in the movie for ease of mind.

“They are approaching. They’ve added two Lycian knights and one plainswoman to their ranks.” A bandit reported to the priest, hidden in his secluded temple room. He had them watching the outskirts of the city for their targets, a green-haired Sacaen boy and the brown-haired tactician with very flowy clothing.

“Lycian knights… That tactician works faster than I expected. Will they be an issue?” The fake priest questioned, wondering why those knights were in Bulgar in the first place.

“No, we still have a numbers advantage.” The bandit replied, confident in the strength of his gang.

“Good, have your men ready to strike. I need some time to deal with the civilians first.” The fake priest directed, letting the bandit leave as he headed for the basement of the temple. His plan would require some… outside help.

====

“Well, I’ll be damned.” The cloaked man on the path to the Shrine of Spirits said as he pulled his hood down. He had two companions with him, behind a tree on the path looking toward the shrine.

“Y-you!” Mark and Izuku could not believe their eyes at who stood before them. At the duo’s voice, the cloaked man’s companions quickly stood, tense. Perceiving a threat, Lyn dismounted from her horse with her hand on her blade as the knights did likewise, Sain brandishing his lance while Kent drew his blade.

“Please, I mean no harm. I just recognized some old friends.” The man quickly went between the two groups, his hands held out to stop them. Much had changed since the last time they had seen him. He was much more grizzled; spotting a fair bit of stubble on his chin. His cheeks were thinner, and his eyes had bags under them, but the man was undeniably Glass. Before Lyn or the knights could question the mercenary, Glass was nearly bowled over by Izuku, the green-haired student almost flying from his place atop Kent’s horse to tackle the mercenary in a hug.

“Hey, rookie. It’s good to see you and the kid made it out safe.” Glass spoke softly, not minding the growing wet spot on his cloak. He patted Izuku’s back in an effort to comfort the boy.

“Glass! The camp, Ringue… I’m sorry… I couldn’t do a thing…” Izuku grieved, Lyn standing down as Glass’ companions relaxed. They removed their hoods to reveal Bank and Bub, equally worn down as Glass. Bank had burns snaking across his skin and Bub seemed to have gone mute.

“It’s alright, rookie. His death wasn’t in vain.” Glass consoled the boy, grimacing as his friend’s death was all but confirmed.

“So, rookie, who are these people?” Glass directed Izuku’s attention to Lyn and the knights standing awkwardly behind the green-haired boy, unsure of what to make of the unfamiliar individuals.

“I concur, who are these men, Izuku? They seem of ill repute.” Kent spoke up, not familiar enough with Izuku and company to relax his guard just yet. In his defense, Glass and his companions did look rather suspicious in their run-down garb.

“I can answer that. Lyn, Kent, Sain, this is Glass, Bank and Bub. They were a part of the mercenary group I traveled with before I met Lyn. We were split up when we were ambushed by bandits.” Mark explained, allowing Izuku to wipe his face on his sleeve. His face burned a glowing red at the thought of his sudden emotional outburst.

“I see. My apologies, Glass. We were accosted by bandits mere hours ago. Surely, you could understand our caution.” Kent bowed his head as he sheathed his blade, the mercenary’s eyebrows quirking at Kent’s formal language.

“No offense taken. We don’t exactly look like the reputable type either. What are knights like yourselves doing on the plains?” Glass shrugged, tugging at his cloak.

“I am Kent, and my companion here is Sain. We are knights of Caelin searching for the granddaughter of the marquess.” Kent introduced himself and Sain, the green knight giving a haphazard salute.

“Wouldn’t you have better luck searching Lycia for the granddaughter of the marquess? Sacae is no dainty garden.” Glass asked, rather confused.

“Actually, we have already found her. Lyndis is the granddaughter of the marquess.” Kent clarified as he gestured toward Lyn, only serving to confuse the mercenary further.

“Sir Kent, if I’m not mistaken, ‘Milady’ here is a true blooded Sacaen, no? A strong and beautiful swordsman too; unless my eyes deceive me.” Glass observed, addressing Lyn’s very obvious heritage.

“I am Lyn, of the Lorca tribe. My father was Hassar, the chieftain. My mother was Madelyn, the marquess of Caelin’s daughter.” She replied, unsure of how to respond to Glass’ comment. She gasped when the mercenary performed a gesture that none of the others could interpret.

“To be in the presence of the daughter of the Lion of the Plains, it is an honor.” Glass said with some reverence. It seemed the gesture was a form of greeting. “It’s been a while since I practiced any Sacaen customs, but I believe that’s the proper one.”

“It is. Thank you, Glass. What brings you to the Shrine of Spirits?” Lyn nodded with nostalgic fondness, before posing a question to the mercenary.

“I had some questions for the priest. I was going to pray for future travels… and for fallen comrades.” Glass answered morosely, the mercenary’s words growing heavier when one took into mind his current state.

“Then I shall pray for your comrades as well.” Lyn responded, knowing that pain far too well.

“Perhaps we could go together? There’s no harm in travelling in a larger group.” Mark suggested, pulling everyone’s attention. No one seemed to be against the idea.

“That sounds good to me.” Lyn and Glass said in sync, turning to each other.

“My apologies, Lyn. The group is yours to lead.” The mercenary rubbed the back of his head bashfully. It had been a while since he was not the leader.

“Thank you, Glass. Now let us depart for the shrine!” Just as Lyn had given the command, a middle aged woman ran to the group, out of breath.

“I beg your pardon, milady. Are you headed to the Shrine of Spirits?” She managed between breaths. 

“Yes, we are indeed. What is wrong, ma’am?” Lyn asked as Kent offered the woman some water.

“Then you must hurry and help the priest there! He told us to run when a group of bandits ran into the temple! They seemed intent on stealing the altar’s sacred sword!” Upon hearing her words, Glass’ expression morphed to a grimace.

“The Mani Katti… They’re going to steal it? We cannot allow this to happen!” Lyn decided, thinking the mercenary’s expression was one of righteous disbelief.

“Sain, please escort this woman to her home. Mark, let’s form a plan.” Lyn commanded as Izuku helped the woman onto the knight’s horse.

“You seem like the smart sort, young man. Perhaps you could benefit from something I saw earlier. The bandits cut off the main entrance, but one of the temple’s walls is in poor repair. You may be able to break through without having to deal with the ones at the front.” The woman told Izuku as he helped her up, nodding in thanks.

“Thanks, ma’am. Please get home safe.” Izuku responded with a smile. He and Mark could use that information well. Walking back to the group, they were deep in discussion of the plan.

“Rushing the front is the only way. My men and the knights could take on the men at the front while Izuku and Lyn go through and assist the priest.” Glass said, looking at the general layout that Mark had drawn up with Lyn’s help.

“Our horses won’t be able to cross those mountains. If the bandits see you coming, they’ll just surround you before you can even pull out your weapons.” Kent argued, putting a wrench in Glass’ idea.

“Barreling through is a foolish strategy anyway. There has to be another way in.” Mark agreed. They were separated from the temple by two walls, a small mountain range barring passage between them. They wouldn’t have time to go around the wall, if the woman’s urgency was anything to go by.

“Actually, the woman just told me that there’s a weakened section in the wall. We could break through and get the jump on the bandits inside.” Izuku finally spoke up, providing Mark with exactly what he needed.

“Perfect. We’ll use that instead. Glass, can your men take out the bandits that might lurk near the entrance with the knights? I want the four of us to clear the inner sanctum.” Mark nodded, talking to Glass as he pointed to the mercenary, himself, Izuku and Lyn.

“Of course. What do you two say?” Glass asked, turning to Bank and Bub.

“Yup. If anything, we’ll hold them off until you’re done.” Bank answered, his response reinforced by a nod from Bub.

“Good, let’s move! We have no more time to waste!” Mark commanded as Sain rejoined the group, galloping alongside Kent. Upon approaching the wall, a brigand appeared from a thicket on their left. With a rallying cry, more appeared from the thicket and rushed to meet the group.

“Tch, Lyn! Hold them off with the knights at that fortress! I need Bub’s axe to get through the wall!” Mark ordered, continuing to advance with Glass’ group and Izuku. The fortress should provide Lyn and the knights with a defensive advantage.

“We’ll meet you inside!” Lyn shouted back as Kent and Sain used their superior maneuverability to draw the group of brigands towards them.

“Bank, find that weak point!” Mark commanded, the thief quickly scanning the wall before throwing his dagger at a section. Without needing a command, Bub caved a hole in the wall with his axe and momentum. Mark dismounted from his steed as he entered, leaving the horse by the hole in the wall.

Glass turned to Mark with a nod, the mercenary leading Bank and Bub to secure the entrance. The thief picked up his dagger, slipping it into his cloak, nodding to Izuku as he left with Glass.

After hearing blades begin to clash at the entrance, Mark and Izuku moved past a row of pillars separating the altar from the rest of the temple. Catching a flash of steel in the corner of his eye, Izuku quickly drew his sword. 

“Mark, get back!” Izuku yelled as he blocked the blade of an unknown assailant. They were obscured by a cloak, but their mouth was set in an angry grimace. They had an aura of rage about them. Izuku kicked them hard in the stomach and forced them back. They were a lot lighter than he expected. Picking themself off the ground, the swordsman disregarded Izuku and dashed straight at the tactician.

“Your opponent is me!” Izuku shouted as he parried the swordsman’s blade, noticing a chip at its base. He landed a grazing slash on his attacker, one of the fasteners of his hood becoming undone. With a feral growl, the assailant leapt at Izuku, vertically spinning forward in the air. 

Taken by surprise by the technique, Izuku froze for a brief moment before holding his blade close to him. As the swordsman was about to cut him, Izuku swung his blade up, breaking the assailant’s blade at the base. Before the swordsman could react, Izuku impaled him on his blade.

“Good… you didn’t freeze. You’ve gotten better, Izuku…” The assailant’s hood fell away to reveal an emaciated Porc. The fury that he had when he was fighting seemed to disappear. Before Izuku could ask him anything, the swordsman expired, slumping forward and dropping the remnant of his sword. 

“Thank goodness! You saved me, young man. Those ruffians were about to kill me!” An old man in priestly robes stepped out of hiding from behind the altar, relying on a staff to maintain his balance. The head was adorned with three red gems on its crown, surrounding a ruby orb. It glowed orange in the dim light of the altar. “Come forward, I’d like to give you a token of my thanks.”

“Rookie! Get away from him!” Glass shouted as he burst into the inner sanctum, the old man’s expression morphed into one of sadistic glee. Pointing the staff at Izuku, a beam of spiraling orange light flew from the gem, intent on hitting the green-haired boy. Glass threw himself forward, pushing Izuku out of the way as the beam struck the mercenary, enveloping Glass in an aura of rage, similar to Porc’s condition.

“Hahaha! Not the intended target but it should provide the same results all the same! My Berserk staff will cause it’s victim to attack the weakest target in the vicinity! It can’t even be dispelled until the victim dies!” The priest began to laugh maniacally as Glass slowly approached him. With a roar of anger, the mercenary sliced the old man in half with his sword, breaking the staff in the process. “What!? How…”

“Those two are stronger to me than you ever were.” Glass grunted, crushing the old man’s head with his foot. He attempted to sheathe his blade before he was beset by a fit. The berserk staff’s effect hadn’t gone away. He turned to Izuku, the green-haired boy already weakened from his bout with Porc. He wouldn’t be able to stop the mercenary in that state. 

Just then, Lyn and the knights arrived, entering the inner sanctum to see the bloodshed that had occurred within. It gave Glass an idea.

“Mwahahaha! This blade is more magnificent than I’d imagined! That tactician was a fool to think that I wouldn’t take this blade the moment I laid eyes on it! That priest stood no chance against my skill!” Glass cackled as he stabbed the priest’s corpse with his blade.

“You’re nothing like the mercenary we met! Who are you?” Kent demanded, brandishing his lance with Sain at his side. Lyn had her blade drawn as well, but was far more conflicted.

“Who am I?! I am Glass! My swordplay is peerless! Even the gods fear my name! Stand in my way and I will kill every last one of you!” The mercenary roared, pointing his blade directly at Lyn. It triggered a reaction in Kent, the red knight much more willing to face the man who threatened Lyn.

“Then look at me! I will end this farce!” Kent reared his horse back and thundered forward. Mark and Izuku were in too much shock to dissuade the cavalier as Kent parried Glass’ blade and pierced the mercenary through the chest, letting him fall at the base of the altar. The sound of flesh hitting stone shook Mark and Izuku from their shock.

“Glass!” They yelled as they clambered up the altar and knelt next to the dying mercenary. Only then did Kent realize that the mercenary’s posturing was a ruse.

“Glass, I-” The knight dismounted and tried to tend to the mercenary before he was interrupted by Glass.

“Save your apologies, sir Kent. It was the reaction I expected of you.” Glass grunted, covering his mouth as he coughed up some blood. “That bastard priest cast some sort of berserk magic on me. I wouldn’t have stopped until I killed you all.”

“But we could’ve found another way to deal with it! I just needed more time!” Mark shouted, hot tears rolling down his cheeks. This couldn’t be happening again so soon.

“Kid, if any harm came to you or your new companions, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. One for the good of many. The academy asked me to demonstrate it to you when I was hired. I just didn’t think it’d be like this.” Glass frowned, turning to Lyn, who had joined them at the altar with Sain. “Lyn, I apologize for dragging you and your knights into my problems. I’m afraid I don’t have much to make up for it.”

“Save your strength, Glass. I should be thanking you instead. I wouldn’t have met Mark and Izuku in the first place if it were not for you.” Lyn said somberly. She hadn’t known the mercenary for long, but he truly was a good person.

“Pay it no mind. May Father Sky guide your path and Mother Earth guard your feet. I pray your journey ends well.” Glass nodded, speaking again in Sacaen customs. He tried to perform another gesture, but found he lacked the strength.

“May Father Sky count you among the stars and Mother Earth welcome you into her embrace.” Lyn responded, wiping a tear from her eye.

“Rookie, don’t waste your time. This is the end for me. I’m sorry I couldn’t stick around for longer.” Glass finally turned to Izuku, the green-haired boy fruitlessly trying to staunch the flow of blood from his chest.

“Here.” Glass slid a hand into his cloak, taking out the vulnerary he had received from Izuku in Bulgar. “I won’t be needing it anytime soon.”

“You and Ringue… You guys were always looking after me. You are my heroes.” Izuku whimpered, clutching Glass’ hand as he felt the mercenary’s pulse weaken.

“I guess I fulfilled my dream in the end. I’m sure you’ll be able to become a hero too, Izuku.” Glass chuckled, leaning back and closing his eyes. “Ah, Porc… Ringue… I’ll be seeing you soon.”

Having said his peace, Glass breathed his last, his hand relaxing in Izuku’s. Squeezing the hand one last time, Izuku stepped back as Kent and Sain took Glass’ body off the altar. They placed him against one of the pillars, next to Porc. A cough alerted the group to the presence of Bank and Bub, supporting an old man between them.

“I must thank you all for saving me. That villain accosted me some time ago and kept me hog-tied in the basement since!” The old man rasped, clearly unused to using his voice in a while. “I see you’ve suffered a great loss. It may not be much solace, but please lay your hands upon the Mani Katti. The spirits within the blade shall bless you on your journey.”

Izuku went first, walking back up the altar and drawing the sword from its scabbard. It was a katana, without a doubt. It’s make was simple, but without a doubt a masterpiece. Running his finger along the grain, Izuku was surprised to feel consolation from the blade. Sheathing it, he left the blade on the altar, moving aside for Lyn. Mark and the knights stood to the side. Being of the Eliminean faith, they had no reason to pray to the blade. Walking up the blade, the air seemed to condense around the altar. 

“What? Did-” She asked, surprised as the blade flashed as she laid her hand on the handle. Unsheathing the blade from its scabbard, the entire blade shone a soft white in her hands. “The sword… it’s glowing.”

“Ah! The spirits are calling out to you. They desire to help you on your journey.” The old man interpreted, speaking in a reverent tone.

“No… I can’t… I couldn’t…” Lyn responded in disbelief. The blade’s glow had yet to subside. On the contrary, the glow only seemed to grow brighter with Lyn’s refusal.

“It is the sword’s wish. I never dared to hope that I might meet, much less be saved, by the wielder of the Mani Katti in my life. It hasn’t reacted this way for as long as the temple has existed.” The old man said as he shed tears of joy, before he was wracked by a fit of coughs. “Pay me no mind. I shall recover in time. Please, make use of the temple’s resources before you go.”

“Thank you, priest. We will be depending on your hospitality for a little while longer.” Lyn nodded, sheathing the blade and tying the scabbard to her sash. The glow had finally subsided, much to Lyn’s relief. She did not know what to do if it hadn't. Bank and Bub nodded at Lyn, taking the old man to private quarters to allow him to rest.

“Lyndis, I believe it would be wise to rest here for the night, while we have the cover of the temple. We will ride at dawn to make up for lost ground.” Kent suggested to Lyn and Mark, the group moving out of the inner sanctum.

“What do you think, Mark?” Lyn turned to the tactician for his council.

“Kent, how long do you think it will take us to travel to Caelin?” Mark asked the red knight, believing the knight would have a better idea.

“We should arrive at the Lycian border in six days. Araphen is en route, so I plan to prepare a larger escort there. It should only be five more days of travel after that.” Kent responded. It had only taken him and Sain ten days, but they hadn’t needed to spend a day in Araphen.

“And how is the marquess’ current condition?” Mark followed up, noting the logistics in his mind.

“The chancellor gave us a little more than a month at the time of our departure. He was invigorated by the news of his granddaughter, but his condition may change at any time.” Kent answered, hoping Reissmann fared well back in Caelin.

“Eleven days for you to find us, eleven to return. Staying the night here should not affect our arrival by much. It would be prudent to use the temple’s supplies before using up our own.” Mark calculated, making his conclusion.

“Then we will rest here.” Lyn decided as Bank and Bub returned from the temple’s private quarters.

“We’ll be going now. We’ll take care of the bodies on our way out. I think Glass and Porc would have wanted to be buried with Ringue. Could you tell me where he is?” Bank spoke to Mark, the fake priest’s mangled remains in a sack on his back while Bub carried Glass and Porc in roughly made body bags.

“Bank, there’s no rush. Why don’t you stay for supper, at the very least?” Mark suggested, the thief giving the tactician a skeptical look. Bank turned to Bub, the silent fighter giving the thief a nod.

“Alright, we’ll stay. Do any of you know how to cook?” Bank asked the group, Lyn and Kent raising their hands. “Go look in the back rooms for ingredients. I’ll get a fire started outside.”

“Sain and Izuku, stand guard outside the temple. Bub and I will look for a cart or something to keep all the bodies in one place.” Mark directed as everyone went about their given task. Sain and Izuku stood watch over Bank, who called them over to get some help gathering stones to form a fire pit.

After a bit of time, Bank got a soup going, the group sharing the meal. Izuku had made some ice cream for the group, getting a rare smile from Bank as he tasted the cold treat once more.

“Ah, Izuku! This is quite refreshing!” Lyn exclaimed as she tasted the ice cream. Kent and Sain agreed, nodding as they enjoyed their treat. Satisfied with their meal, Bank and Bub rose to leave.

“What are your plans after you deal with… your commitments?” Mark asked, following the thief away from the group.

“Just find more work. Can’t exactly sit around and do nothing. Might join another mercenary group with Bub.” Bank shrugged, packing his things.

“We’ll wish you the best of luck then. Thanks for your help, Bank. I’ll leave a good word at the academy when I get back.” Mark said as Izuku approached him to bid farewell to the thief and axe fighter.

“Thanks, kid. Stay safe.” Bank nodded, giving Mark and Izuku a final wave before leaving.

“It was nice knowing you, Izuku. I hope your journey ends well.” Bub croaked, his voice completely different to what Izuku remembered. It must have been the reason why he had been silent.

“Thanks, Bub. I hope I’ll see you again sometime.” Izuku responded, holding his hand out for a handshake.

“I do too.” Bub rasped, gripping Izuku’s hand and giving it a firm shake. With that, he followed Bank, helping the thief move the cart they had loaded the bodies into. Turning back, they found Lyn and the knights engrossed with the Mani Katti.

“This is so surreal. Perhaps the most famous sword in all of Sacae… in my hand to help me get to my grandfather.” Lyn said in awe, holding the blade aloft.

“It’s not so strange. I believe many legends tell similar tales… Special blades all over the land call out to their proper owners. When I saw you draw that blade, Lyndis… I felt something extraordinary. That sword was waiting for you. You were meant to draw it.” Kent refuted, remembering the feeling around the altar when Lyn touched the Mani Katti.

“Kent! Stop that! I… I’m nothing special.” Lyn waved the red knight off, fighting off the blush on her cheeks.

“Think of it this way: Some weapons feel more comfortable in your hand, right? Well, the Mani Katti itself feels very comfortable with you. Does that make it any easier for you to accept? It doesn’t appear that either of us trigger the same effects. Izuku even touched it and it didn’t do anything.” Sain tried to reason. The sword did react to Izuku, just not visibly. Voicing it now wouldn’t help matters, so Izuku kept that tidbit of information to himself.

“It… does feel right in my hand. A blade that only I can wield. Ah, Mark. Have a look. This is… my sword. I must care for it well.” Lyn slowly came to agree, noticing Mark returning and presenting the Mani Katti to him. Their night ended peacefully, under the cover of the temple.

====

The idyllic scene of the castle gardens was ruined by the soldier hurriedly marching through the castle, bearing bad news. Meeting his employer in a hall out of sight of the usual retainers, he whispered to his lord’s ear.

“What? Madelyn’s daughter is still alive?” Lord Lundgren cut an imposing figure, with his lavender armour and silver cape. His brow was furrowed in anger.

“Uhh… Yes, Lord Lundgren. The girl is traveling with Kent and Sain. What are your orders? If we let them be…” The soldier nodded hesitantly, not sure he wanted to finish his sentence in the presence of his lord.

“Bah! I’ve heard that northern Bern is full of bandits. She’s just a girl. She’ll not survive her journey here. I’m more concerned with my older brother. His life must end quickly. The poison… There must be no blunders.” Lundgren slammed his fist into the wall beside him, leaving a dent in the stone.

“Yes, m’lord. He suspects nothing and continues to drink it. The marquess’ death, due no doubt to ‘sudden illness’, is not far off.” The solder reported, glad to divert the topic.

“Heh heh heh. Soon… Soon Caelin will be mine!” Lundgren cackled as he left the soldier behind, off to attend some duties in his brother’s absence.

====

With the priest’s blessing, the group rode west, towards Lycia, and Lyn’s destiny. A mountain range separates the Sacae Plains from Bern. Many bandits lurk in the area, the cruelest of which are the Taliver. They are a plague to both nations, one whose savagery Lyn has sworn to eradicate. Three days after leaving the temple, Lyn and company bear witness to their atrocities herself.

“I’m glad the priest knew a faster route through the mountains. Sain and I had to go around the mountains on our way here. I believe this should save us two days of travel at the least. He mentioned a town on the way which we can use to replenish our supplies.” Kent said, pleased that their mission can be completed even faster than he expected. Their travels had been peaceful, though Izuku missed morning training in their haste to get to Caelin. Izuku had also revealed his origins to the knights.

After the expected surprise, Kent and Sain accepted the answer rather easily. Hearing about Iida piqued Kent’s attention. Izuku imagined his blue-haired friend would get along well with the red knight if they ever met. Thinking about it struck him with another bout of loneliness until he remembered Bramimond’s words. He hoped he would find one of his friends again soon. Any mention of his female classmates immediately got some sort of reaction from Sain, to no one’s surprise. The general mood since then had been light, until they came upon the town the priest had mentioned.

“This place… it’s…” Lyn couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. The town was in complete disrepair. One of the homes completely lacked a wall. There was not even a single sign of life.

“The entire area is in ruins. Why doesn’t their marquess do anything to help?” Sain questioned, his lackadaisical smile replaced with a look of disbelief.

“The Taliver Mountain is home to vicious, ruthless bandits. No marquess holds power here. My tribe was at the base of the north side of the mountain. My people were… The Taliver bandits came at night. It took only one night. The survivors numbered less than ten, including me.” Lyn explained, her expression immediately shifted into one of anger. “They’re soulless beasts. I will never forgive them. Never.”

“Lyndis…” Sain frowned. Kent had no words, his brow furrowing at the sight of the town.

“I am not running away. I will be back… someday. I’ll be stronger… I will break their blades beneath me like twigs beneath a stallion’s hooves. I will avenge my people. I’ll do everything in my power to eradicate them.” Lyn resolved, clenching her stallion’s reins in a death grip.

“When the time comes, bring me with you.” Sain said without hesitation, turning to Lyn with a determined glare.

“Don’t forget me, either.” Kent concurred, not missing a beat.

“Sain… Kent…” Lyn gasped, turning to the knights in disbelief.

“Take us as well. Izuku and I were attacked by bandits. We lost Ringue to them.” Mark said behind her. Izuku turned away with a look of shame. He could sympathize with Lyn’s pain, but he couldn’t condone killing in good conscience. What was the right choice?

“Oh! You too, Mark? I… You’re… Thank you.” Lyn fumbled her words for a moment, before simply thanking her new friends for their help. Taking a moment to recompose herself, he whipped the reins of her horse, moving past the ruined town.

“Wait, Lyndis. Be on guard. There seems to be some sort of commotion over there.” Kent suddenly dashed ahead of Lyn’s horse, stopping it before it could move away from the cover of the large stone wall separating them from the noise.

“Wait right there, little lady! What are you and your friend going to do to apologize? Huh?” A gruff male voice yelled, far too aggressive to be up to any good.

“Uh… I… That is, I…” A meek female voice tried to respond, stumbling over her words. Lyn and company could barely hear her from where they were.

“Hey, they’re quite a catch, eh, buddy? I bet the boss’d give us a pretty penny for each of them.” Another male voice pondered aloud.

“Yeah. She roughed me up a bit, so I figure fair’s fair. It’s no more’n she deserves.” The first voice responded, followed by a slurping noise that immediately drew a look of disgust from Lyn.

“What are we gonna do with their flying mule?” The second male voice asked his compatriot.

“Sell it, of course! Pegasi can only be found in Ilia. They’re rare beasts, worth more than these two combined! We can sell it for a mountain of gold!” The first answered, unleashing a raucous laugh. The mention of a pegasi piqued Lyn’s attention.

“Don’t touch him!” A new female voice asserted, the unique frog-like verbal tic causing a flash of recognition in Izuku.

“What? You watch your mouth, girlie!” The second male voice growled. Izuku gave a look to Lyn and Mark, the plainswoman already dismounted, prepared to move out and see what was going on. Izuku did the same, taking a position on her flank. With a nod from Mark, the two of them left the cover of the wall. Mark would show himself with the knights if the situation got out of hand.

“Florina? Is that you, Florina?” Lyn shouted to the pegasus knight.

“Ah! Lyn?” Florina asked as the pegasus galloped over the two men surrounding it, landing in front of Lyn as the rider practically leapt off it’s back at the Sacaen.

“Florina! What are you doing in a place such as this?” Lyn exclaimed as she caught the small pegasus rider. Izuku was surprised to see a familiar face atop the pegasus.

“Asui?” Izuku inquired. It was Izuku’s froggy classmate, or at least, he thought so. Many of her more outlandish features that made her stand out were toned down. Her large eyes were less pronounced, her hands more fitting of her stature and her back no longer hunched. Before, she would have been considered undoubtedly cute, but now, she was stunning. She wore a green tunic with white sleeves and a red-striped long skirt with a light green apron on the front fastened by a belt. In her hands she held a wooden staff tipped by a blue orb.

“Deku? Is that really you?” The inexpressive girl asked with slightly widened eyes. Izuku knew this was probably the closest thing to a reaction he would get from her, due to no fault of her own. Her quirk had simply made it so.

“Florina! Tsuyu! Are you two alright? I’m sorry, I didn’t know you two had landed!” Before he could confirm Tsuyu’s suspicions, another familiar voice came from the sky as someone in a burgundy cowl with distinctive blush marks atop a wooden staff landed next to the pegasus, her eyes nearly bulging out of her skull comically as she saw who she landed in front of.

“Deku/Uraraka?!” The two shouted, pointing fingers at each other. From not knowing anyone to two of his closest friends. Izuku could barely believe his eyes. 

Mark decided now was the right time to leave the cover of the wall, the presence of the knights dissuading the ruffians from taking advantage of the confusion. As if to add to the current mess, Izuku started bawling.

“Come on, Izuku. You’re making a bad first impression. You must be the Asui and Uraraka I’ve heard so much about.” Mark rode next to the boy, holding out a handkerchief he had bought in Bulgar to him. Hearing their names from the tactician befuddled the girls, but he brushed it aside. “We can get introductions done later, what happened here?”

“Yes, Florina, what happened?” Lyn coaxed from the pegasus knight. She had taken a step away, shielding the girl from Mark and the knights. The tactician assumed Lyn had her reasons.

“Well… um… I wanted your help. Then I saw this village… I flew down to ask if they knew where you were. I didn’t see those two until… well…” Florina explained, taking multiple pauses between her words. She seemed to flinch every time she looked away from Lyn or Izuku’s classmates.

“Did you land on them?” Lyn asked, connecting the dots rather easily.

“Well… I wasn’t used to landing with more than one rider…” Florina admitted, fidgeting with her hands.

“Aha! You heard her! She admits her fault! She could’ve killed my friend with her mule, and now she’s got to pay!” The ruffian accused, having gained some bravado despite being outnumbered.

“Did you apologize, Florina?” Lyn ignored the ruffian, addressing her friend.

“Yes. I told them I was sorry many times over. They just wouldn’t listen…” Florina teared up, soothed by Lyn massaging her back.

“Don’t cry. It’s all right.” Lyn assured, turning to the ruffians. “Listen, she’s obviously sorry. Can’t we just let this pass? You don’t appear to be injured.”

“No chance! You think you can just waltz in and take our score?! The girl and her mule come with us–by force!” The leader snarled until a fireball exploded at his feet.

“We won’t go down that easily!” Uraraka threatened, the head of her staff smoking from releasing the fireball. Izuku was too busy wiping his tears to even react in surprise.

“Tch! C’mon out boys! Get rid of the men and leave the girls!” The leader clicked his tongue as he backed off, a wolf whistle summoning bandits from the ruins around them.

“Mark, I’ve decided. We will get rid of these bandits before they can harm another village. Will you help me, Florina?” Lyn asserted, turning to the tactician and her friend.

“O-of course, Lyn!” The pegasus knight stuttered, hopping onto her mount while Asui got off, not wanting to impede Florina’s combat ability.

“Alright, Kent and Sain, take the lead. I need to familiarize myself with our new allies before I deploy them in combat.” Mark commanded, sending the knights to cover their backs while he figured out what his three new allies did.

“Lyn… Who’s that?” Florina pondered as she watched the tactician command their allies.

“This is Mark. He’s still an apprentice, but he’s my tactician.” Lyn introduced, turning Mark’s attention to them.

“Oh, I see… Uh… Mark, I’m pleased to meet you.” The pegasus rider nodded, shrinking when he waved back at her.

“Lyn, please go and warn that village to barricade themselves.” Mark directed before the pegasus knight turned to him, unsure if she should voice her thoughts.

“Um… Mark. Could I go with Lyn?” Florina asked, bringing a frown to the tactician’s face. He would’ve liked to ascertain the pegasus rider’s abilities while Lyn went alone.

“Ah, I’m sorry Mark. Florina is a little uncomfortable around men. Would you mind if she fought alongside me?” Lyn explained, an apologetic smile on her face.

“That makes sense. By all means, go ahead. I have no doubt you two will be just fine combat-wise.” Mark nodded, Florina shying away from him and the knights making sense in hindsight. With a nod, Lyn hopped on the back of Florina’s pegasus as the two went to warn the villages.

“Now for you two… I take it that your quirks weren’t retained when you arrived?” Mark turned to Asui and Uraraka, once again surprised by his use of terminology from their world. “The same happened to Izuku, but he picked up the sword to compensate. From that display earlier, I assume you’ve some skill in magic, Uraraka?”

“Huh? Um… Yeah, I’m a mage. Mark, right? Nice to meet you.” Uraraka nodded, greeting the tactician.

“The pleasure’s mine. And Asui, I believe that is a heal staff? You must be a cleric.” Mark bowed from atop Lyn’s horse, turning to address the other girl.

“Yes, I’m able to heal wounds.” The frog-like girl confirmed with a ribbit, curtseying to the tactician.

“Sorry, the two ladies sent me over. Are you Mark?” A brown haired young man asked as he approached the group. He wore a blue tunic underneath his olive-coloured pauldron.

“Yes, that’s me. I assume you want to help with the bandits?” Mark nodded, noting the man’s bow and quiver.

“She wasn’t joking when she said you were sharp.” The man chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. “Yes, my name is Wil. I’m a travelling archer. That village treated me well and I’d like to repay the favour.”

“I see, I’ll draw up a plan now.” The tactician nodded, looking to the skies as Lyn and Florina returned. Addressing the plainswoman specifically, he held a simple parchment in her direction. “Lyn, how many enemies did you spot up there?”

“Ten, including the two that we met earlier. I can’t help but feel you predicted this would happen. Two had bows, three with swords and four with axes.” Lyn replied with a wry smile as she hopped off the pegasus and pointed out the nine spots where she had last seen the enemy from the air. Of course Mark knew to adapt to a change in plans, but to do so this quickly was rather surprising.

“I got it… Wil, you and Florina will take out the bandit hiding behind the wall. Make sure your arrow flies first, alright?” Mark took a second before drawing up a plan, directing the archer and the pegasus knight.

“Huh? Of course. I’m not going to shoot at my allies.” Wil responded, unsure why the tactician would give him that order. Did he think that Wil would risk shooting an ally? Seeing the look of confusion on the archer’s face, Mark waved him over and crouched on the horse to whisper into the archer’s ear.

“Florina has a terrible fear of men, on top of being a pegasus rider. Even if you’re an ally, I want to make sure she can work as well as she can.” Mark explained, changing the frown on the archer’s face to an understanding smile.

“Ah, I see what you mean. Will do.” The archer nodded, Mark’s expression turning to one of shock. 

“Did you really just make a pun? Now?!” The answer was written on Wil’s face as he flashed a wink at the aghast tactician. “Just… go.”

Without needing another word, the archer quickly climbed atop the wall, drawing an arrow from his bow and nailing the bandit in the shoulder.

“Florina, take him out!” Mark ordered, the pegasus rider taking out a slim lance and taking to the skies. 

“The rest of us will push forward! Let’s move!” At his command, Kent and Sain pushed forward, charging into the corridor and running through a bandit with a bow. “You three can catch up for now. I’m pretty sure the knights and I can take care of things.”

“No, we’ll help. We can just catch up later.” Izuku decided, moving to follow the knights. His desire to help didn’t surprise Uraraka or Asui, who followed after him.

“They’re good people, but I have a feeling his friends don’t know what they’re getting into.” Lyn said as she hopped on her horse behind Mark.

“I’m sure he’ll help them through it. It’s practically unavoidable considering our mission.” The tactician responded as he whipped the horse’s reins, driving the animal forward to catch up to the knights.

“Is it my fault, Mark? That I’m forcing them to kill for me?” Lyn asked, her voice wavering as she leaned into him. Mark had to remind himself that he had to be the mature one now as he fought the blush on his cheeks and his thoughts on the soft lumps pressing into his back.

“You remember what Izuku said about Bramimond? I want to think that the Enigma had this in his plans.” Mark finally answered, looking ahead to the battle.

“I see. Thank you again, Mark. I am blessed to have you with me.” Lyn nodded, hopping off the horse to rush into battle with her heart unwavering.

“She really doesn’t know the effect she has on people…” Mark sighed as he rubbed his face, hoping the blush had disappeared. He had to get back to directing the battle. 

Kent had retreated after taking an arrow to the arm, yanking it out for Asui to heal him. Mark was surprised to see Uraraka blasting bandits left and right with fireballs while Wil peppered them with arrows from above. Sain and Izuku struck down Wil’s marks while Florina and Lyn made short work of Uraraka’s targets. It finally came down to one bandit, the one who had tried to capture and sell Florina and her pegasus in the first place.

“I only have one question for you. Are you Taliver bandits?” Lyn demanded, pointing at him with the Mani Katti, the rest of the bandits having been dealt with.

“Taliver? Those greedy monsters? We’re nothing like them!! Those fiends will even kill women and children! We’re from Ganelon, and we know a little something of honor. We don’t harm women, for one thing. Heh heh heh. After all, why kill what you can sell?” He cackled, earning another look of disgust from the plainswoman.

“If you’re not Taliver, then there’s no reason for you to die here today. If you would like to tuck your tail and flee, do so now.” Lyn sighed as she sheathed the Mani Katti.

“You… You… No more courtesies! You’re going to learn to watch your tongue!!!” The bandit yelled as he lunged at Lyn with his steel axe. He was surprised to see, or rather, not see Lyn where his axe was. He heard the click of a sword being sheathed and found his chest slashed open.

“You’ll live to regret this… My brothers… The Ganelon bandits will not let this stand…” He coughed as he fell over, his life snuffed by the Sword of Spirits.

“It seems we have a lot to unpack…” Lyn turned to her allies, her eyes on three in particular. “So, Florina, what did you need my help with?”

“Do you remember the knighting ceremony of the Pegasus Knights of Ilia?” The wisteria-haired girl asked, having dismounted her flying steed.

“Yes, you join a band of freelance soldiers to further your training as a knight. Is that what brought you here?” Lyn recalled, connecting the dots.

“Uh-huh. I wanted to see if you could join me. Fiora assigned these two to help me make a mercenary band. But when I went to where your ger was, it wasn’t there anymore. I was worried and looked for you.” The pegasus knight explained, standing the furthest away from the group, though Mark made sure that Uraraka and Asui were in between her and the rest of them.

“Thank you Florina, but I have other obligations at the moment. I just discovered I have a grandfather. I’m going to meet him in Caelin.” Lyn thanked before her expression soured.

“Oh, Lyn! That’s wonderful! But I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do now. I’ve always dreamt of being like my sisters and having a squadron of my own. I was so close too…” Florina frowned, beginning to tear up.

“Florina… Don’t cry…” Lyn wrapped the smaller girl in a hug, wiping Florina’s face with her hand.

“Yes! There’s no reason to give up on your dream!” Sain materialized next to the two, having snuck past the Uraraka-Asui barrier without anyone noticing. “Lovely Florina! I have the most brilliant idea! You should come with us! With the addition of Wil here, we’re a fine group of soldiers, and freelance to boot!”

“Wait, did you just include me?” The archer in question asked, pointing to himself as Kent facepalmed in shame. Sain, reducing his status as a knight to a mere soldier so he could hit on another girl. The more the red knight thought about it, his green companion was not above such tactics at all.

“Of course! We were destined to meet here! It’s fate! Come now, Lyndis’ band of mercenaries is as good a training group as you will find anywhere!” Sain violently turned around to face the archer, giving Lyn a chance to shield Florina from his intensity.

“He reminds me of Mineta but much more… charming. Is that weird?” Asui asked Uraraka and Izuku bluntly, causing the two of them to ponder for a bit before reluctantly agreeing.

“We actually met him when he hit on Lyn.” Izuku explained, rubbing the back of his head in second-hand embarrassment.

“Sain, this is no joking matter!” Kent had stepped in, pulling Sain back by his collar to rein the green knight in.

“Lyndis’ mercenaries? I thought-” Florina looked up at Lyn for an answer, the plainswoman struck by a moment of indecision.

“I can give you details later. This is all a bit rushed. However… Sain is right. Would you like to come with us, Florina?” Lyn responded, reluctantly agreeing with the flirtatious knight’s proposal.

“Travel with you, Lyn? Truly? I would be so… so happy!” Florina exclaimed, igniting a flame within the green knight.

“Fantastic! Beauteous Florina! I am a knight of Caelin!” Sain declared as he flipped Kent over his shoulder, slamming the red knight into the ground. The sudden display of strength surprised Uraraka and Asui, though Izuku looked at Mark’s eyes and caught onto the tactician’s plan.

“My name is Sai-hrrk!” The green knight managed as Mark’s scarf appeared around his neck, Izuku and the tactician pulling Sain back before he could invade Florina’s personal space again. 

With a groan of effort, Kent got onto his feet, bowing to Lyn and Florina. “I beg your forgiveness. Calling us mercenaries…”

“No, I approve. It’d be a shame to separate Izuku and his old friends so soon. But you must be aware of Florina’s issues already, no? Can I count on you to help with it?” Lyn refused with a look of concern as the red knight dusted himself off.

“Yes! You have but to ask, Lyndis.” Kent bowed once more before Wil interjected himself.

“So… Is it really all right if I travel with you?” The archer asked sheepishly. It felt like he was the odd one out of the group.

“Oh, yes! Of course, if you’re willing, Wil.” Lyn nodded, unknowingly having made a pun.

“Really? I would be honored to count myself one of Lyndis’ Legion!” Wil’s expression immediately brightened. Mark shook his head as he tightened his grip around his scarf.

“‘Lyndis’ Legion’? This is getting stranger every day, isn’t it, Mark?” Lyn beamed, looking at Izuku and the tactician, the two having successfully restrained the green knight.

“And we still haven’t dealt with the biggest issue.” Mark said, releasing Sain from his restraints and wrapping the scarf back around his own neck.

“I suppose you’re right.” Lyn admitted, knowing the tactician was referring to the two who had travelled with Florina. “I think the easiest way would be introducing us all, don't you think, Izuku?”

“Ah? Um… sure!” Izuku immediately went stiff, unsure where to even begin. He was saved by a light jab from Mark to the ribs.

“Introduce us to them first, you can go over what brought you here when we make camp for the night.” Mark whispered into his ear, giving the green-haired boy a more concrete idea of how to go about things.

“So… Uraraka, Asui. This is Mark. He’s the first person I met here. He’s a tactician… or strategist, if that makes it easier to understand. He taught me a lot of things about where we are.” Izuku started, Mark bowing to the girls.

“I thought I said you could call me by my first name, Deku.” Asui interjected, flustering Izuku. “And you too, Mark. Please call me Tsuyu.”

“Ah… I would be honored, Tsuyu. If you two would like to go over other details, I would be pleased to help.” Mark paused, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment before bowing again.

“A-and this is Lyn. She helped out Mark and I and now we’re repaying the favour. She reminds me of Yaoyorozu, actually.” Izuku stuttered as the girls finally got a good look at Lyn. They thought Izuku was referring to her hairstyle… and then they looked down. Ah… Izuku was a young boy, after all. Catching onto the girls’ thoughts, Izuku’s face reddened.

“This is Kent and Sain. They came from Caelin to find Lyn. They’re actually knights. You’ve already seen what Sain’s like, but Kent reminds me of Iida, actually.” Izuku moved on to the knights, Kent bowing his head while Sain flashed the girls a wink.

“I was going to say, Florina’s oldest sister actually reminded us of Iida.” Tsuyu said, her finger resting on her bottom lip.

“Do you think all three would take it as a compliment?” Izuku followed up, fairly certain that they’d all have the same answer.

“Yup.” They all agreed. Now that Lyn and company had been introduced, it was time for Izuku to introduce Uraraka and As-Tsuyu.

“Hold on. Did you tell anyone about our situation? Does Florina know?” Izuku whispered to Tsuyu, far too shy to do the same to Uraraka.

“Only the couple we met when we first got here. They talked to Fiora, but she hadn’t talked to us about it. I don’t think she told Florina if she did. I’m guessing you told them everything?” Tsuyu shook her head, probing Izuku for answers on his end.

“Yeah… but they’re cool with it.” Izuku nodded, feeling prepared to introduce his friends. “This is A-Tsuyu and Uraraka. They were my friends from before.”

“Tsuyu Asui, cleric from the village of Corinth. Please call me Tsuyu-kero.” The frog-like girl croaked, the name unfamiliar to all but Florina and Mark.

“Northern Ilia? Interesting.” The tactician nodded, remembering the location on the largest map back at the tactician’s academy. Supposedly a village housing a powerful lineage of mages, there was nothing else of note about the snow-covered village.

“Ochaco Uraraka, a mage from the same village. We were assisting the pegasus knights before travelling with Florina. If we’re on a first-name basis, please call me Ochaco as well.” The brown-haired girl said shyly, flustering Izuku by proximity. Mark simply smiled smugly as he nodded in Izuku’s direction. The tactician was onto him. Hopefully he could pass off his reaction as a Japanese thing. Hopefully.

“Pleasure to make everyone’s acquaintances. Now let’s get on the road. We still got plenty of time before sunset.” Mark asserted, sending everyone into a scramble to prepare to set off. 

With a quick round of commands, the formation was decided. Lyn would ride with Florina while Asui rode with Mark. The tactician would do his best to explain geography and other concepts verbally as Ochaco would glide alongside them with her staff. It seemed that Bramimond taught her how to use her fire magic to propel the wooden rod in the air. Izuku continued to ride with Kent, while Sain and Wil rode together, the two of them getting along surprisingly well as they rode ahead.

“Hey… Deku?” Ochaco probed as she floated next to Kent. The red knight was fascinated by her ability to fly, but chose not to pry so he could focus on directing his horse.

“Uraraka?!” Izuku nearly squealed, not so much surprised by the sight of her floating, but rather her presence in general. “Um… You can call me Izuku like everyone else, I don’t mind. Weren’t you going to get up to speed with Mark and Tsuyu?”

“But you’re still calling me by my last name…” The floating girl pouted, the pang of guilt piercing the freckled boy like an arrow. “I think I’m gonna wait until we make camp so Mark can use his visuals. I’m not smart like you or Tsuyu.”

“T-that’s not true, Och-Uraraka! You’re very smart… and beautiful… and kind.” Izuku rambled on, momentarily forgetting who was in his presence. 

“Ah! I’m sorry! You probably don’t want to hear that from me!” Izuku exclaimed as he slowly looked up at Ochaco. The girl’s pout had morphed to a look of surprise, her blush growing to encompass her entire face in a light pink. “Uraraka-san?”

“Hai-IIIIIIIII!” The floating girl immediately perked up before the end of her staff blazed, sending the brunette straight at Sain’s horse.

“Sain! Behind you!” Kent shouted, the green knight turning his steed perfectly to catch Ochaco before she could hurt herself. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop the end of her staff from stabbing him in the side.

“Are you alright, lady Ochaco?” The green knight asked with a charming smile, only marred by the trickle of blood coming out of the corner of his mouth.

“I’m okay. Thanks, Sain.” Ochaco replied as her hands rubbed her cheeks, slowly pushing the blush back to their regular size.

“I think the better question would be if you are alright, Sain.” Wil commented behind him, having borne witness to the cavalier’s injury up close.

“Of… course I’m fine, Wil! A knight of Caelin should be able to withstand this much!” Sain struggled to answer, clearly in more pain than he let on. 

“I’m inclined to believe otherwise. Grit your teeth.” Mark ordered as the tactician trotted up with Tsuyu to heal the cavalier’s wounds. With a nod from Sain, the tactician yanked the staff free, causing the knight’s eyes to widen before he relaxed from the soothing feeling coming from Tsuyu’s staff.

“You have my thanks, most kind Tsuyu.” Sain bowed as Ochaco got back on her staff, floating on it once more. “And for you, Ochaco, do not fear fleeing to my arms again.”

“Eh? Thanks, Sain?” Ochaco responded as she regained control of the staff, going back to her position beside Izuku and Kent. “Sorry about that. I lost control of my magic for a second.”

“I wanted to ask you about your magic, Ocha-Uraraka.” Izuku asked curiously. He was glad Tsuyu was around to take care of mistakes like that.

“Well, it’s a long story that starts with Bramimond.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to GoldenWitch for beta-ing the chapter! Don’t forget to check out her fanfic, Ghosts of the Body.  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/20589941/chapters/48882833
> 
> Another cliffhanger >:)  
> At least it's a good segue into the Ochaco/Tsuyu chapter. Like the Bakugo chapter, it will canonically take place at the same time as Chapter 1.
> 
> Thanks to B1oustorm and the 5 guests for leaving Kudos and the 1 new people who bookmarked the fic! Look forward to the next chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading to the end! Updates will be coming out sporadically as they are finished and edited. Chapter size will vary. Rating and relationships will change as the story progresses. Relationships will mainly be platonic or F/M.


End file.
